A new farmers market in Lafayette is helping area farmers rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Market at Tops Appliances and Cabinetry opened for the first time on Thursday at 5826 Johnston Street. It features local growers, suppliers, and restaurants, and is an opportunity for Acadianans to meet and support local farmers. It's open each Thursday from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tops owner Sherry Letour said the market is a dream come true for her after owning the business for 12 years.
"I've done pop-up markets and a variety of things like this, but when COVID hit and with so many entrepreneurs struggling to get connected to their customers, this is really what I wanted to get started."
Customers can pre-order online, or simply stop by to pick up without ordering in advance.
Tops partnered with Fightingville Fresh, a market on Lafayette's Northside, for the market in hopes of introducing vendors to a bigger customer base.
Letour and Nicole Johnson, Market Coordinator and co-owner of Fightingville Fresh, hope those who visit the market get to know the faces behind beloved local products and take home "a little bit of everything."
"If something happens and we have to go back to Phase One, people will have relationships with their vendors," Letour said.
Some products offered at the market include charcuterie boards, coffee, fresh fruit, and more. The market is also partnering with beef vendor Brookshire Farms in Abbeville to offer fresh meat.
If you'd like to volunteer or set up a booth at the market, you can reach out through its Facebook page here, or by calling Tops and asking for Sherry.
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