Manager of the Covington Farmers Market

Alexa Abner, manager of the Covington Farmers Market, started growing food for the market and vending there in 2014 before she switched to the organizational side of the operation. After a year of uncertainty, the market plans to remain open all year round and takes place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located at the Butler Pantry Patio, 50 E. RiverCenter Blvd., the market sells a variety of products including meats, poultry, baked goods, prepared foods, household products and seasonal products.

How was the farmers market affected by the pandemic?

It honestly showed and showcased a lot of our strengths. It was our most successful year to date as far as vendor sales were concerned and nutrition assistance programs utilized. Because we operate year-round, we did make the decision to switch to a pre-order pickup model only for about the first six weeks of the pandemic with the shutdowns. But after that, there was a really swift plan of action through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to make sure that farmers markets were recognized with the same essential service designation as grocery stores. We were able to leverage that support from the state to have our special event permit from the city of Covington to begin a little bit earlier than we normally would.

What do you enjoy most about the farmers market?

I think my favorite part about the market is how grassroots it is and how I’ve been able to witness as a vendor, as a shopper, as a market manager, these really authentic relationships grow and come together. There are people who have supported us since day one and are like family. As soon as someone shops with us or vends with us for the first time it just immediately expands in that network and that family. .

What would you like to see the farmers market accomplish in the future?

We do have a big announcement coming in a few weeks, so I will kind of tease that we are growing… We will have a second location in the city. I would love to see our accessibility continue to expand so that fresh locally grown foods are always available to everyone, no matter the circumstance and that the momentum that has built around the local food movement is not just a trend… I want to see that long lasting success. I think there are a lot of competing ideas out there with food delivery services and home meal preps, but at the end of the day, the personal relationships and the experience just offer so much more and will keep people coming back.