Farmer’s market informational meeting tonight in Edgard
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 25, 2012
By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur
LAPLACE – Potential vendors interested in participating in St. John the Baptist’s Red Barn Farmers Market on the west bank in Wallace are invited to an informational meeting tonight in Edgard.
The parish Office of Economic Development is sponsoring the meeting at the St. John Community Center, located at 149 E. Third St., Edgard, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Representatives from the LSU Ag Center, the USDA and the St. John Planning and Zoning Department will review the Farmers Market Rules and Regulations and answer any additional questions that interested vendors may have regarding the market. The Farmers Market vendor application will also be available at the meeting.
The deadline for interested vendors to apply for a permit is May 25. The St. John Economic Development Department will also host two technical training opportunities for vendors on June 14 and June 18. For more information, contact the Economic Development office at 985-652-9569.
The Red Barn Farmers Market will be a permanent location for local farmers and artists to sell fruits, vegetables and crafts. The market will be housed in a 4,800-square-foot metal building that will have space for 10 16-by-14-foot open-air stalls that growers will be able to drive into with their vehicles.
The front of the building will face Louisiana Highway 18 at the foot of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Wallace with road access at the western end of the property.
Construction costs are being funded by a USDA grant, with the remaining balance covered by Economic Development. A chain-link fence has been installed around the perimeter of the property, a requirement of a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Department of Transportation and Development who owns the land. Lighting, drainage culverts and a limestone driveway have been installed, and the USDA has completed a site inspection.
The parish could not give an estimated completion date for the market until the construction funding from USDA was acquired. The market is expected to take four months to complete.
