Mission

The St. Johns Farmers Market is a sustainable organization that strives to strengthen our community well-being by increasing access to fresh food and nurturing vendor success, in a welcoming environment that champions the needs, values, and diversity of St. Johns.

Vision

We envision an inclusive farmers market with reduced barriers to participation for business owners and customers alike.

We envision a vibrant communal space operating as a cornerstone of food access and a key contributor to community resiliency, connection, and health.

We envision a future of growth, creating opportunities that build a bridge between the market and the broader St. Johns community.

Values

1. Food Access

We prioritize equitable access to fresh, local, and culturally relevant food for all St. Johns residents.

2. Inclusion & Belonging

We strive to recognize and counter systemic oppression in order to create a welcoming environment where all community members feel comfortable to participate.

3. Local Stewardship

We uplift local farmers, producers, and craftspeople as essential contributors to the health and resilience of our local food system and economy.

4. Sustainability & Stability

We operate with financial and organizational sustainability and employee satisfaction, focusing on being a reliable community partner.

5. Community Trust & Transparency

We commit to clear communication and practices that build long-term trust with vendors, partners, and residents.

Stance on Equity

We (our board, staff and volunteers) recognize that economic disparities exist within our society. We also recognize that these disparities have impacted many community members - BIPOC, immigrants and refugees, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, low-income individuals, youth, and the elderly. These disparities are continually perpetuated by systems that favor some rather than all. 

Our vision is centered around breaking down barriers in order to build a thriving, more equitable neighborhood for all community members. It’s a big vision that we are committed to, no matter how messy or rocky the road ahead. Every person should have equal access to economic opportunity and feel empowered to be engaged in the neighborhood. We plan to work toward this vision in the following ways:

  • We will look internally at our operations, programs and way of thinking, and make important shifts that better reflect our vision.

  • We will work to build our organization as a true reflection of the neighborhood.

  • We will spark equity dialogue across the neighborhood and encourage other individuals and groups to explore how race, power and privilege have created disparities.

  • We will intentionally invest in traditionally underrepresented communities.

  • Our team will foster relationships across a diverse group of people in our neighborhood.

  • We will work with the community to understand and celebrate the diversity within our neighborhood. Nearly half of our neighborhood is BIPOC and we want to acknowledge that!

  • We acknowledge that we are in a position of power given our funding relationship with the city and we will leverage that relationship to elevate the voices of all community members.

We know we have a lot to learn and reflect on as we seek to build a more equitable organization and community. We will also be nimble and will adjust our programming to reflect our equity stance as/where needed. We cannot promise that we’ll always get it right or be the most eloquent advocates, but we will be transparent, honest, and continually learn.