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MADISON — The East Madison Grange Madison Farmers’ Market’s Farmer Talent Show drew a wide-ranging display of talent, raised the roof on the Grange hall and also raised money to allow the farmers market to participate in the Maine Harvest Bucks program.
The program increases access to locally grown foods for SNAP/EBT shoppers at local farmers’ markets across the state and is made possible by government funding and grants procured by the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets. It allows the Madison market to offer “Bonus Bucks” to SNAP shoppers, which can be redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables there at the farmers’ market.
This year, because of a funding gap, farmers markets across the state had to either temporarily suspend their Maine Harvest Bucks program, or step up to cover it.
Samantha Burns, director for the Madison Farmers’ Market said, “At the Madison Farmers’ Market we were adamant that the community we serve, located in an economically depressed region of central Maine ─ should continue to have access to the benefits the MHB program offers, and so we devised a fundraising strategy that included reaching out to local businesses, as well as hosting this Farmer Talent Show.”
The audience filled the Grange meeting room, and there was a long list of performers in a wide range of ages and skill levels that made for a great show. There were guitar-players, a trumpet-player, an accordion and a dulcimer, a fiddle and banjos, even a story-teller. Prizes included “Best Trumpet Player,” “Best Story-Teller,” “Crowd Favorite,” “Best Performance by a Band,” and “Most-Agriculturally Themed.”
The Maine Harvest Bucks program at the Madison Farmers’ Market is now fully funded, thanks in part to the money raised by the talent show, Burns said, as well as donations from Backyard Farms and Paine’s Dairy Farm. The Madison Farmers’ Market is held 9 a.m to 1 p.m. Saturday through Oct. 20 at the Main Street Park.
For more information, contact madisonfarmersmkt@gmail.com or call Samantha Burns at 207-858-5678.
TOP PHOTO: Samantha Taylor and her friend Sara at the East Madison Grange Farmers Talent Show. (Submitted photo)
