16 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FEATURE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003
DOWNTOWN
Farmers, flourish do
By Jennifer Wellington
jwellington@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Another goal of the board was ensuring that the vendors were in charge of the market and that everything remains a democratic process, Bean said.
The market has grown to include 68 vendors and is open three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
On Saturday morning in the summer, downtown Lawrence bustles with customers eager to buy fresh produce, flowers and crafts at the Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market.
New and veteran vendors make up this year's farmer's market.
The market, located in a parking lot on the 1000 block of Vermont, has been in Lawrence since 1979.
In addition to the market's growth of products and vendors,the farmers'market is finishing its first year with a vendorelected board of directors. Richard Bean, chairman of the board, said the board was enacted last year after Downtown Lawrence, Inc., decided it didn't have the resources to continue sponsoring the market.
Bean said the board worked on overhauling the bylaws and hired a market coordinator, Emily Miller, during the last year.
"I think it's the best farmers' market in the United States," he said.
Carol Huettner, a longtime market shopper, started selling her herbs and flowers this year at the market.
"I finally had enough products to sell," she said.
Huettner said most of her customers appreciated the variety of products at all of the booths and that was why people returned to shop at the market.
"Over the years, I think the market has expanded," she said. "You'll find things here that aren't at a supermarket."
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Liz Pendleton's family has sold their goods at the farmers' market for over 20 years.