Young entrepreneurs develop business expertise at farmers market
Robbinsville – Each Saturday, locals from the county and surrounding area set up to market their baked goods, produce and crafts to members of the community.
While many young people can be found sleeping in on Saturday mornings and enjoying a day of leisure, several young entrepreneurs can be found bright and early at the Graham County Farmers Market.
Thanks to the help of Graham County Farmers Market Youth Market Coordinator Paula Aaron, Graham County Farmers Market President Bonnie McCracken and Graham County Farmers Market Treasurer Terri Phillips, five of the vendor booths are run by businesses whose owners are all under the age of 15.
Phillips was responsible for applying and receiving a grant from the Creating New Economies Fund, which offers funding for projects that benefit community youth. The grant included youth development and leadership opportunities intended for initiatives supporting youth conservation programs and environmental, social justice and economic benefits.
The grant consisted of $8,500 for participants to spend on supplies, set up, money boxes, tents and banners to support their businesses. The tents and money boxes were provided, and $200 per business was given for the vendors to order banners and supplies to get started. The businesses are given worksheets that lead them through the amounts of start-up money needed, spent on supplies, and profit.
They are also given activities to help them learn how to talk to customers and develop relationships with them, to discover what their need is and how they can meet the need with their business.
Joshy Kamps learned to crochet from his mom. He established “Wunder Kinds” as a way to share his creations with the community and hopes to expand to festivals next year.
“I like talking to people and selling something I love,” Kamps said.
Jaxxon Rollins sold out of his clay creations at his “Jaxxon’s Magical Clay Den” at Aug. 2’s market. He began making figurines out of clay as a hobby and began selling them when he ran out of room to keep them. Rollins’ favorite part of the business is creating new stuff to sell. The hardest part for him is making the smaller items, which require extra time and a lot of patience.
Sisters Enslie and Emerie Phillips began “Old Tallulah Tallow” when they discovered there was extra tallow from the family farm and wanted to share the health benefits of tallow with others. They began making products with the tallow and have become a very popular venue at the market. The sisters have learned about the supply and demand and how to increase volume based on what sells.
“The hardest part of running a business is having to keep making it, so you have enough product,” Emerie said.
“It’s good for you,” added Enslie.
“Taste of Goodness” is owned by Calista Holder and Elodie Phillips. They started their baking business because of their love for baking. They named their business after the Bible verse in Psalm 34:8, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good…” The girls serve breakfast baked items each week. They love to learn new baking techniques and each week they try to incorporate a new technique into their inventory.
Fourteen-year-old Oakley Pressley is no stranger to gardening. She has been helping her dad in the garden as long as she can remember. “Fresh Pickins’” has any produce you are looking for – fresh out of any of her four gardens – and if you are interested in buying something from Pressley, you better get there early: she usually sells out. She is already planning to set up two greenhouses for next year’s market.
“It’s hard work,” Pressley said. “It’s good to learn, because not too many people garden anymore.”
Autumn Cripe is another participant. She sells her crocheted items at the “Crooked Stitch.”
The young business leaders will continue their businesses into the next year and will be considered veteran youth vendors. The farmers market will be on the lookout for new vendors who will receive the initial funding to get their businesses up and running, while the veteran vendors will be on their own with the knowledge and experience of their first-year learning what it is like to have and run a business and moving forward with a bright future. They will have their tents, money boxes and banners, but will be required to take care of their supplies and vision for their next step in the world of entrepreneurship.
Aaron is very pleased with this group of young entrepreneurs and their contribution to the farmers market. She also has a vision for the future.
“I want more youth vendors to get involved, because our older vendors are dwindling,” Aaron said. “(The) Farmers Market is a great way to get the community to come together and build a network of businesses that can not only serve the community, but support our economy and families.”