Small Business Saturday is coming up November 30 when shoppers across the country are encouraged to think big by shopping small. Gail Banzet-Ellis explains how the designated day for small businesses is welcomed by farmers year-round.
On closing day of Bixby’s Conrad Farms in October, owner Vernon Conrad reflected on the farm’s many faithful customers and employees of the past few decades.
“It’s sad because of the customers coming here for years and years and years some people 30, 40 years. And then people like Becky over there who works for us - that’s sad too.”
Vernon stands in the farm’s large metal building once filled wall to wall with fruits and vegetables. All of the freezers are empty now except for a few remaining tomatoes. The Conrad family has dedicated their livelihood to serving locals with produce straight from the field - a farm to table concept not found at local grocery stores.
“What we sell here is that’s home grown is grown right down in our fields south of here, so it doesn’t get any fresher than that … or it didn’t.”
While Vernon adjusts to retirement, he has some advice for the patrons who supported Conrad Farms all those years: keep buying local. Although his business is closed for good, there are hundreds of small-scale farms in the Tulsa area and across the state who are keeping up the cause by growing fruits and vegetables for farmers markets.
“We have almost 80 farmers and other vendors that are part of our market. We generally average about 60 vendors each Saturday.”
That’s Lisa Brandborg who has managed the Cherry Street Market for the past six years. Rain or shine, the market pops up along Tulsa’s Cherry Street every Saturday except for when it converts to a winter market every two weeks throughout the winter months. On the first cold and blustery Saturday of the fall season, the crowd is a little smaller, but that doesn’t stop Don Drury of Yale from setting up shop.
“I have red heirloom okra …”
Don is just one example of how the younger generation is leaving its mark at farmers markets, but the local food scene is also attracting younger customers like this 20-something Tulsan who has her weekly favorites.
“I love this sweet onion pie quiche from Red Bird Farms, the milk from Loma Dairy, and the goat cheese from Canyon Ridge Farms. Yeah, that’s what it’s called – it’s great.”
While historic businesses like Conrad Farms may close, the “buy local” concept lives on at farmers markets where every week, new customers discover the benefits of fresh produce and face-to-face contact with the grower. For KWGS News, I’m Gail Banzet-Ellis.