2024 Market Year in Review

The Market instituted new vendor guidelines, including necessary fee increases, that broadened the range of offerings, clarified proper procedures, and insured greater customer satisfaction. Operational staff duties were expanded and new personnel hired and trained for greater day-of effectiveness.

In October, we asked, “What word best describes the Market for you?” Here are the responses from 300 participants at the Giant Pumpkin contest. 

Three new social media programs set in motion greater support for vendors and outreach to the community. The new, very user-friendly website has seen nearly 6,000 visitors since its launch in October. The open rate of Seasonal Share, the new quarterly newsletter, was 72% (substantially over the benchmark of 35%). Migration to a new Instagram account brought noticeable increases in readership and involvement.

The Market awarded $500 mini-grants to thirteen area non-profits. These supported individuals of all ages, meeting their needs for books and gardens, film-making opportunities and science experiments, foods and arts and music and story experiences. See the full report on the website. 

Neighborhood partnerships with community organizations were strengthened. The Market worked with Waverly Main Street on the Baltimore Book Festival, served as a staging ground for Johns Hopkins University ‘Clean Sweep’ efforts with nearby residents, and appreciated the direct support that the Charles Village Community Benefits District provides all year.

The community space program was reshaped; a dozen-plus groups tabled at the Market, sharing their projects with visitors and (among other efforts) successfully recruited young scouts, signed up new voters or choral singers, and gave away native fruit trees.

The re-invigorated food-scrap recycling program, now under Baltimore City Department of Public Works management, continues to divert hundreds of pounds of food scraps weekly from the waste stream, and benefits both conscientious customers and the hogs on a vendor’s farm.

Market visitors enjoyed several bespoke events, including the annual Giant Pumpkin weight-guessing contest (where, thanks to the efforts of volunteer Sally Protzman, participants’ suggestions became the ‘word cloud’ that best describes the Market); National Farmers Market Week; and Seafood Saturday. Guest of honor at that event, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, encouraged customers to enjoy ‘Maryland’s Best’ seafood all year-round from Market vendors.

Following a change in leadership in the spring, the Market was supported by the efforts of the strong, multi-talented ten-person Board (five vendors, five community representatives), who worked on the unglamorous but necessary revisions to bylaws, vendor guidelines, and enhanced fiscal security and accounting measures.

The Board highly commends past Board President Martha Lucius, who, in her additional role as Acting Executive Director this year, helped the Market balance short-term immediate needs while initiating long-term plans for growth and financial stability. The Board appreciates the work of former community member Ann Tropea, who shepherded the successful launch of the new website and newsletter.

Three members will assume emeritus status in 2025. The Board appreciates that they will be available in unofficial roles and salutes Miller T. Roberts III, noted for his in-depth financial and legal advice; John Shields, aka the Market’s most enthusiastic and prolific online promoter; and Board Secretary Susan Walther, for her management of the grantee awards program.

At its annual January 2025 meeting, the Board presented the 2024 grant program summary and the balanced 2025 budget, and issued a call for Board members, to be elected in February. The 32nd Street Farmers Market looks forward to a strong and successful 2025!