Can’t make it to the Covington Farmers Market on Saturday mornings? Now you can go on Tuesday evenings.
Hoping to bolster access to locally grown produce and specialty prepared food ranging from salad greens to farm-fresh eggs and Kentucky wine to locally harvested honey, the Farmers Market is expanding to a second day each week at a second location.
Beginning this Tuesday, local farmers and vendors will be selling their goods from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Nov. 16 at the corner of M.L. King Jr. Boulevard/12th Street and Holman Avenue in Westside.
The market will also continue to be open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at Court Street and Park Place in the Roebling Point district.
Farmers Market Manager Alexa Abner said organizers saw the added site as a way to expand accessibility while further supporting local food growers and producers, as well as direct-marketing small businesses.
“If work, family time, sleep schedule, or a busy social life have your Saturday mornings spoken for, we hear you,” Abner said. “The Market visited several neighborhoods during a 2019 trial of one-time weeknight pop-ups. Accessibility is a priority, which includes options for transportation to and from the Market.”
She noted that both the Westside and Roebling Point locations fall on the TANK 5 bus line, and said the new location is especially convenient to walk or bike to for residents living around and south of M.L. King Boulevard.
City officials praised the expansion of an organization they see as part of the social fabric of Covington while providing an important service.
“The Farmers Market not only fills a critical need for our residents but also adds to the vibrancy of the community, making it easier to show that The Cov is an appealing place to live, work, and visit,” Mayor Joe Meyer said.
Heading into its peak season, the market averages about two dozen full-time vendors, including both farmers and artisans, plus “guest” vendor spaces, at its Court Street location.
Abner said there are still full-time vendor spaces to fill in the new location, and organizers are prioritizing Kenton County farms in their recruitment. Farm vendor inquiries can be directed to alexaabner@rcov.org.
(You can also follow the Farmers Market on Instagram, @covingtonfarmersmarket, to see weekly Market Maps & Menus and volunteer opportunities.)
Between the two locations, customers can find a range of goods, including – for example – kale, lettuce, blackberries, house plants, tofu, radishes, jalapeno jelly, whole chicken fryers, all-natural cosmetics, fresh-pressed juices, cut flower bouquets, hen and duck eggs, sourdough bread, wine, honey, and beeswax candles.
In a few weeks, expect to find a bounty of vegetables like tomatoes, summer squash, peaches, green beans, okra, and cucumbers.
Despite the pandemic, the Market attracted close to 20,000 visitors in 2020 with vendor sales of almost half a million dollars.
To help vulnerable populations access fresh and healthy foods, the Covington Farmers Market partners with three nutrition assistance programs, accepting SNAP/EBT benefits year-round and participating in seasonal WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. As an added benefit, it uses a grant from the Kentucky Double Dollars program to match each of those currencies.
