SoMe Farmers Market already planning for next year | Business

Grocery shopping isn’t an easy feat if you live in South Memphis. If you rely on city busses, the one-way trip can require two transfers and take up to 40 minutes.

“People here are dependent on the corner stores,” said Curtis Thomas, deputy executive director of The Works, a South Memphis community development corporation. “They sell frozen burritos and stuff, but no fresh food.”

The Works started as a housing ministry at St. Andrew’s AME Church in 1993, but has since become affiliated with the United Way. The group concentrated on things like new homeowner classes, home repairs for the elderly and started a charter school.

But three years ago, The Works began looking to the future, trying to figure out new ways it could serve South Memphis. They partnered with members of the community, the University of Memphis and other organizations like the Hyde Family Foundations and built the South Memphis Revitilaztion Action Plan (SoMe RAP).

The plan’s ambitious. It calls for the transformation of the Chateau-Kerr Housing Complex (a group of buildings the plan calls “one of the community’s most dilapidated multi-family housing complexes”) into a living and working space for musicians. It also wants to build a new 26,000 square foot shopping center at the intersection of South Parkway East and Lauderdale Street.

But the first project on SoMe RAP’s long list was addressing the lack of healthy food into the neighborhood.

“It was consistently at the top of their (residents’) list of concerns,” said Thomas. “They were very concerned with getting access to quality food.”

With eight farmers onboard, the South Memphis Farmers Market opened for business on July 15. Thomas says the market has proven popular with people in the community. Shortly after it opened, the market’s hours were expanded. The market was originally supposed to close for the year Sept. 30, but the market will be open at least until October.

While Thomas says prices at the farmers market are generally comparable to local grocery stores, The Works hopes to expand access to a wider community.

The SoMe Farmers Market hopes to start accepting EBT payments next year and is working to overcome bureaucratic obstacles keeping the elderly from using special vouchers at the market.

Meanwhile, organizers are also negiotiating to move into a new space not too far from the market's current location.

Photo courtesy Flickr user somefm.