The future of a farmers’ market continues to look bright as the months go on.
Members of the Carter County Advisory Board convened inside the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library Thursday to discuss the future addition for the city.
CAB member Cheri Tinney, who also serves on the farmers’ market subcommittee, provided an update on the recent status of online surveys that were geared to future attendees on what they wanted to see at a market. Tinney added the group received 270 responses. That, along with the future location of the market, was discussed at the subcommittee meeting held last week.
“We had a great meeting last week,” Tinney said. “We’re going to work on configuring some of the responses we received from the survey.”
One of the key components discussed during last week’s subcommittee meeting was the usage of parking at First Baptist Church in Elizabethton.
Mike Mains, who was in attendance for Thursday’s meeting as well, told the subcommittee he spoke with the church and they were “very receptive” to partnering for parking. When discussing hours of operations, Mains added he spoke with City Manager Jerome Kitchens and that parking would be a concern, so the idea of evening hours would be ideal.
Tinney did say Thursday that the idea of having the farmers’ market at Walter Curtis Park, between the Carter County Health Department and senior center, is the location that has been unanimously supported. Walter Curtis Park is soon to undergo already scheduled renovations.
In the minutes provided from the subcommittee, Tinney organized tasks for different members of the subcommittee, including work on a mission and vision for the market, rules and requirements for the market, compilation of survey data, a market location coordinator, the creation of a farmers’ market ownership committee and the distribution of surveys to Roan Mountain, Bristol, Kingsport, Erwin and the Town of Unicoi.
Tinney, who serves as the Community Outreach Specialist at the ECCPL, also announced the addition of an intern at the library and future plans of constructing an outreach center near the library to help serve the community. The specialist added that the farmers’ market has been a long endeavor, but plans are underway to help better serve the needs of Elizabethton and Carter County.
“We identify as a need for the community,” Tinney said of the ECCP. “We want to offer the resources available for anybody that may need it.”
Mains took the floor to tell members that the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department has seen their summer activities triple over the summer with 14 bands taking part in the Covered Bridge Jams, the success of the outdoor movie in the park and other events like the Independence Day Celebration.
The Parks and Recreation Department will be busy over the week, Mains added, with the second annual Tweetsie Trail Treasure Trip and Celebration.
“We scaled it back some from last year,” he said. “With last year being our first event, we wanted to go all out. We’re hoping to see another good turnout for this year. The Treasure Trip will be held along the trail from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday while the Tweetsie Celebration, held at Covered Bridge Park, lasts from 5 to 9 p.m.
CAB secretary Jilian Reece added that plans are in place to honor Shane Case’s daughter, Camryn, who passed away. Case, with Lowe’s of Elizabethton, has played a key part of helping with the community gardens, Reece added, with the facility donating plants.
Honoring Case along the Tweetsie Trail was brought up, with Mains showing support and adding that a policy would need to be drawn up and taken before the Parks and Recreation board.
CAB members unanimously approved a measure to begin work on a memorial for the daughter of Case once the policy is put in place by the department.
Other items discussed during the meeting included Emily Barton with the UT Extension office of Carter County providing a quick presentation about her office. Along with Barton, Memorial Park Community Center Director and Macaroni Kid Newsletter Publisher Amanda Hollifield talked about her free children’s e-newsletter and the upcoming schedule of events in Washington County.
For more information on the organization, visit the Carter County Advisory Board Facebook page online.