Brandon Farmers Market holding indoor market during cold winter months

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Winter can be hard for many small businesses who use farmer’s markets to sell items to new customers so the Brandon farmers market decided it was time to bring things inside.

“When our summer market ended we really missed everyone seeing them and winters get to belong around here so we wanted to have something they could forward to every month so that was how the idea started,” Winter Market Founder Julie Lanoue said.

The Brandon Farmers Market now holds an indoor market every month during winter at Faith United Church, but as the popularity of the market continues to grow this may not always be their location.

“We actually outgrew our space the first year we only had space for 12 vendors and I had to turn away a lot of vendors so this year we looked for a bigger space and now we’re kind of pushing the limits here we can fit comfortably 20 vendors and I have had to turn away vendors for this so next year we’ll probably have to look for an even bigger venue,” Lanoue said.

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Many of the local vendors that participate in Brandon’s summertime farmers market are involved in the city’s indoor one as well.

“Julie had the great idea to do this market indoors so the same chemistry we have outdoors we’re bringing indoors as well so it’s great, we love it,” Old Skool Jersey Rippers & Balls Food Truck Owner Frank Gajardo said.

Some vendors even started their business because of the Brandon farmers market.

“Julie the organizer and found of the Brandon Farmers Market reached out to my mom and said your food is amazing you have to come out and sell it here and we started it as a hobby but it kind of took off from there,” Salas Salsa Owner Marcela Salas said.

The winter markets have been a big help to many local businesses.

“Selling food right at the market is great exposure and great marketing as well getting my name out there is important so I think it’s win-win for the market for myself and for the folks that come out here as well,” Gajardo said.

For a full list of the businesses attending the January Winter Market click here.

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