The Fenton Farmers Market, which located in downtown Fenton in front of the Community Center, brings in many customers for new business owners, especially for those who have only been at the market for only four weeks.
Ben Goodrich, the owner of New Leaf Farms, attends the market as his first year at being a local vendor for the market.
Goodrich started farming in his mother’s backyard while growing his microgreens within his house as well.
“Our business specializes in salad greens and we also have other vegetables,” said Goodrich. “Such as radishes, beets and carrots.”
Goodrich owns New Leaf Farms, a local produce farm that specializes in microgreens and vegetables. Being a vendor at the market has helped his business in many ways from new customers to feedback.
Goodrich said: “Because of the Farmers market, I’m able to get a lot of feedback from new customers, from people asking questions gives me a chance to educate people on the microgreens that I’m selling. That gives us information to be able to grow with the market and meet the demand of the market.”
The feedback that Goodrich has received is “little things” like the Facebook page or business cards that are making improvements for Goodrich who wants to expand and give more interest to his customers.
Goodrich started his business because he “fell in love with it” and then decided “Why not try it as a business? Why not go out there and make something happen?”
Pat Allen, Fenton Farmers market manager, said that having the Fenton Farmers Market impacts local or small businesses in the area.
“There is a lot of (foot) traffic,” said Allen. “…On Thursday nights because people come here and go there. You can see people walking up and down the street, going to all the shops.”
The Fenton Farmers Market is held weekly on Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. until Sept. 21. The market invites businesses from the area to come and display their products which range from produce, home goods, clothes and jewelry.
“I have 70 vendors (this summer),” said Allen on how many local businesses attend the market. The market hosts businesses from all over Genesee County.
Most businesses that attend the Farmers Market are locally owned. Sister Scents Candle Co., a local business of two sisters, makes candles and sells them at the market.
Leah Bauman, one sister of Sister Scents Candle Co., said that it’s a team of herself and her sister. They attend the farmers market weekly and have been since 2021.
“We are a team of two sisters that are dedicated to creating unique and intriguing scents,” said Bauman, referring to what she and her sister’s candle company is. “We specialize in soy wax candles, but we just expanded to creating charcoal and incense as well.”
Her experience at the market has been going well and enjoys “food vendors and it’s a wide variety of different things, sort of like a mini craft show and all the local artisans.”
Bauman said that as a small business owner, it feels “empowering” as she knows she doesn’t have to rely on others and feels proud of “working towards something meaningful and long-lasting.”
The presence of a small business at the farmer’s market is the enjoyment of connecting with other small businesses, Bauman said.
“We’re able to network and figure out other areas that we can bend at or different ways to set up differently,” said Bauman. “It’s nice to share knowledge because sometimes learning the hard way makes it so other people can learn the easy way.”