By L. Parsons Winslow City Councilwoman Samantha Crisp has been able to make her idea of a farmer’s market in Winslow come to light. Since Crisp was elected to the council in 2018, she has been building an awareness for agricultural and sustainable food sources in town. She has been a spearhead for forming the City of Winslow Agriculture Committee, which is currently taking applications, as well as an exploratory committee for studying the logistics of an arboretum on the west side of Winslow. Those projects are still under way. The Mother Road Farmer’s Market, however, has truly taken off. Crisp said, “We celebrated our first anniversary on July 4. Over the last few months of 2020, we have had 34 vendors come to the market. Some have been there each week and some only come once in a while. We have between eight and 16 vendors at each market.” The goods offered at the market vary and go beyond just fruits and vegetables, though those remain a staple. Vendors have sold hand made masks, skincare products, clothing, candles, jellies, art and much more. “We have had blankets and baked goods as well as eggs and windchimes,” Crisp beamed. She hopes to see more diverse offerings in the future, she explained. “We will have more things, but they have to be handmade or home grown.” The pandemic did dampen the market during the first part of spring. “We did have to start later in the year because I had to make sure policies were in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.” Masks and physical distancing guidelines have been enforced. The market has been so successful, according to Crisp, she decided to add a few evening events in the fall. The cooler temperatures and later times made it more accessible to people who otherwise could not make it to the early Saturday markets. “The final evening market will be on Oct. 10. This has been a great addition to what we were already doing. The city installed lights at the First Street Park in the trees and they are so pretty. They also installed trashcans and have kept the park looking beautiful to make sure it is a good atmosphere for the markets.” As winter approaches, Crisp is looking for an indoor venue to house a winter market. “I need something inside that is large enough to hold all the vendors and allow for the six feet of physical distancing and a whole bunch of shoppers. I am hoping to roll that out in early November.” The market means a lot to Crisp and she has put effort in to growing it for the community. She said, “I am so proud of what the Mother Road Farmer’s Market has become. We have made it almost two entire seasons and grow a little bit every week, all without spending a single penny of taxpayer money. It has taken a lot of hard work from everyone involved and I couldn’t have accomplished it without the support from our community.” Crisp continued, “The community is what it is all about. This market provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables as well as some tasty goodies. Beyond that, it puts a little money in our entrepreneur’s pockets. I would describe the whole process as ‘for the locals, by the locals.’ Although, we do have some vendors from outside of the Winslow area, community goes beyond city limits.” The Mother Road Farmer’s Market is held from 9 until 11 a.m. each Saturday until Oct. 10 and at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the First Street Park, located at First Street and Kinsley Avenue in Winslow.
