The recently formed Clinton County Farmers Market Association has recently acquired grant money from the Clinton County Community Foundation and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to get the ball rolling on second location for the Farmer’s Market.

The new location will be a 100-foot by 80-foot lot located off Clear Street, in the rear area of the parking lot adjacent to Albany Building Center in downtown Albany.

Clinton County Extension Agent of Agriculture and Natural Resources Colby Guffey said he thinks the new Farmer’s Market will provide a more central location and will generate more foot-traffic during the growing season.

One of the reasons a second location has been deemed necessary is the lack of use the Farmer’s Market Building has located at the Mountain View Park.

“Ever since I was hired as Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in March of 2013, I have had several fruit and vegetable growers as well as other residents of Clinton County express interest in trying to relocate the market to a town location,” Guffey said. “Our goal is to increase the access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, or value added products for residents of Albany and Clinton County.”

Guffey said the grant received, $47,000 from the Department of Agriculture, would be coupled with a $15,000 check that was channeled through the Clinton County Community Foundation, was greatly appreciated and will be the funding needed to get the project started.

Guffey expressed his gratitude toward the advisory board members with the Clinton County Community Foundation for their efforts in getting the project underway.

“It wouldn’t be possible without their support,” Guffey said. “They are the ones who got the ball rolling.”

A group of local leaders met last Thursday afternoon on the site where the new Farmer’s Market will be located, to greet Jamie Comer, former Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture, to mark the awarding of the grant.

During the presentation, Comer noted that the awarding of this grant to Clinton County was his last piece of official business as Agriculture Commissioner before he left office earlier this month.

Comer, who is from nearby Tompkinsville, has since filed to seek the Republican nomionation for the 1st District U.S. House of Representatives seat in Washington, hoping to replace current Congressman Ed Whitfield.

Whitfield, who has served for 22 years, has announced that he will not seek re-election when his current term expires at the end of 2016.

With the market to go up in the downtown area of Albany, Guffey said it will provide access to pedestrians with it being in close proximity to the Clinton County Community Center and Golden Harvest Village.

Vendors who set up to sale goods in the new market location, will also possibly be able to receive EBT, WIC, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.

“Vendors will have the opportunity to receive the training in order to participate in the program,” Guffey said. “The KDA has a program where direct marketing producers selling at local farmers markets can apply to receive EBT machines in order to process SNAP benefits at no charge for the equipment, to the producers.”

Guffey said he isn’t sure yet which days and the times the new Farmer’s Market will be open. He said the Farmer’s Market Association (FMA) has a lot to discuss and finalize, including the size of the building that will house the Farmer’s Market.

“We don’t know when the new structure will be complete,” Guffey said. “Hopefully within the year. The FMA will kind of set their own bylaws and things. They will determine the times it will be open and what will be sold at the market.”

Guffey said the market will more than likely be more of a pavilion type structure with open sides and a roof. He doesn’t foresee there being doors on the sides like the Farmer’s Market located at the park.

“That’s still to be determined by the group,” Guffey said. “The association is made up of local people and the director is Bobby Reneau.”

Once the new Farmers Market is complete, Guffey said they will probably have room for eight to 12 vendors at the new location.

“We will utilize both locations. If this takes off and we have to expand, we can use both locations to serve the community.”

Guffey added that if the new structure isn’t complete before the arrival of this coming produce selling season, the location lot itself can still be used by utilizing tents and other items for a temporary set up.

“They can go ahead and use this lot to get people accustomed to the town location,” Guffey said. “I think it will be good for the producers and it will be good for the senior citizens. Through the Extension Office we plan on doing some other things like nutritional education programs to go along with the Farmers Market.”

Kentucky continues to rank among the top 10 of most obese states across all ages with 35.5 percent of adults above 18 years old being obese. According to studies produced by the Extension Office, Clinton County has an adult obesity rate of 40.1 percent with a poverty rate of 27.6 percent and a food insecurity of 17.1 percent.

Obesity related chronic diseases affected by nutrition are diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Clinton County ranks in the top percent of those diseases and in three of the four, are above the national average.

The Farmer’s Market, other than promoting local foods, is also a way to promote healthy eating in Clinton County.

Above, Colby Guffey, Clinton County Extension Agent of Agriculture and Natural Resources, spoke to a group, including former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jamie Comer, left, who had gathered last Thursday at the site where a new Farmer’s Market will be constructed in downtown Albany.

The project will be funded in part through a $47,000 grant from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and an additional $15,000 gift that has been channeled through the Clinton County Community Foundation.

At left, Comer spoke to those gathered about the grant and the project, noting the importance of programs such as Kentucky Proud that places an emphasis on locally grown products like those that will be sold at the Farmer’s Market.