A new Drake Farmers’ Market is coming to campus next fall for students to enjoy local Des Moines vendors or buy from Drake University students.
Student Body President Ty Walls has been working on planning the project. Walls hopes to bring 25 vendors to campus. This includes having students themselves bring their small businesses to the market, as well as possible alumni vendors.
The market is expected to take place on the second Friday of every month for as long as the weather permits, the first date being on Sept. 11. The Drake Farmers Market is not associated with the Women and Gender Studies farmers market planned for April 30.
Walls hopes for the Drake Farmers Market to take place at least four times a year, with two dates in the fall and two dates in the spring. The plan is to hold the farmers’ market in the Harkins Institute parking lot, making it more accessible for students, staff and community members.
“It’s something for the students to get them excited about living on campus,” said Equity and Inclusion Senator Alyssa Galvez, who has been involved in the project.
For the first few times the market is held, they are looking to have a wide variety of vendors. The businesses have not been picked out yet, but ideas of having dairy products, vegetables and pre-packaged foods as well as art projects or trinkets, have been thrown around. They are looking to see what students gravitate towards.
“If you have a friend that’s going to be there, show up for your friend, but also build those relationships with vendors. You never know where that can lead you,” Walls said.
An idea that Walls is excited to pursue is creating a mutual aid fund through the market. Vendors will have to pay a fee to sell their products, but 100% of the proceeds go back to the community.
“We communicate that to the vendors with their application process, that this is what your $25 is going to,” Walls said, “With this [first farmers’ market] being on 9/11, [we’re] probably finding a mutual aid for veterans, firefighters, for that month.”
The money from the market will find its way to another community in Iowa. As October is domestic violence awareness month, organizers plan to set up a mutual aid and send the money to different shelters.
“The importance of the farmers’ market is to connect the community, not only to Drake, but also to greater causes that are happening within the Iowa community,” Walls said.
Walls and Galvez hope the farmers’ market will be an easy, accessible way for students to meet their needs or interact with the community. For students who are looking to create their own business, there will be entrepreneurs on campus for them to network with or ask questions.
“Supporting students is one of the key parts of the thing, and allowing them to be a part of something where they could connect with another business who might be doing something similar,” Walls said.
Galvez and Walls hope to see this project grow more as it continues. That could look like making the market year-round on campus by moving it indoors during winter, or increasing the number of vendors they invite to campus.
“I’m just a sucker for farmers’ markets and I think it would be really cute to have something on campus for students,” Galvez said, “I would like to see it happen every year, and honestly, I want to see it get bigger and bigger.”
Walls said they are on track to have the farmers’ market happen on the date that is set.
“If I come back as an alumnus, I want to see student vendors, and I just want to see people supporting everybody,” Galvez said.
