photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Opening day of the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market, April 12, 2025.

After receiving a $100,000 federal grant to improve marketing, leaders with the Lawrence Farmers Market hope it can create new buzz and improve the weekly experience for customers and vendors.

The market announced on Wednesday it was awarded a $100,000 Farmers Market Promotion Program grant through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and it aims to use it to improve its marketing and celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Emily Lysen, the director of development for the market, told the Journal-World the funds helped immediately for its staffing. Through the grant, Claire Wineman, the market manager, was able to become a full-time employee, and the market added a part-time worker to help with outreach efforts. Lysen said Wineman can now “commit her time and energy to supporting the vendors” and their needs in a more focused way.

Lysen also said the market works with two marketing firms — Bark Media and Hosek Enterprises — to help strengthen the market’s reach. Lysen said these firms will look at analytics, improve the market’s search engine optimization and revamp the email newsletters it sends out to vendors and customers.

Lysen said the grant also means the farmers market has more advertising dollars to use, which can be useful to get in front of more people. Lysen said that while the market’s Facebook page has grown to have over 20,000 followers, the website’s algorithm eventually stops pushing the page’s content to people unless they pay. Between the grant money and the two firms, the market can find the best ways to get in front of people to bring in more visitors.

“(It’s) going to be really helpful for us moving forward,” Lysen said.

As part of the grant, Lysen also said the market will be able to put on new types of events this summer to coincide with its 50th anniversary. On Saturday, June 27, Lysen said the market will host a “Local Food Cup” event that aims to capture the excitement of the World Cup while celebrating local foods.

That weekend, the farmers market will extend its hours until 1 p.m. and have more of a “block party” atmosphere, according to Lysen. Along with the usual vendors, Lysen said there will be different giveaways, local food tastings, special vendor offerings, an inflatable soccer shootout area and a dunk tank that will feature chances to dunk local elected officials. The market will also provide recipes of certain Algerian dishes and highlight what local produce people could buy to create those dishes at home.

Lysen said this type of event was not something the market has done before, but she hopes it can bring in different types of visitors.

“We’re hoping to catch some people who maybe sleep in and don’t normally make it to the market,” Lysen said.

Another celebration that would honor the market’s 50th anniversary will happen on Aug. 8, which Lysen said will be a “70s-themed event.” Although the market doesn’t have the full details for the celebration, it is another occasion made possible by the grant funding.

Lysen hopes the expanded marketing efforts and new celebrations coming from the grant bring more residents and visitors, but the most important thing is supporting the vendors that are the backbone of the market.

“We hope to make each weekly event the best it possibly can be,” Lysen said.