The Corner Market is the brainchild of Stephen Johnson, urban farmer and proprietor of Elam Gardens just a block away from The (original) Corner. In 2013, he contacted Mike Faucette, a 7th generation farmer, and meat guy Bobby Coltrane to round out the initial offering. Neil Reitzel, owner of Sticks and Stones, was already purchasing local produce from the trio and offered up the parking lot for a Saturday morning market at The Corner of Walker and Elam Avenues.
In the summer of 2021, after outgrowing our original market space, we moved from The Corner that gave us our name and our start to a larger location just blocks away at 2105 West Market Street, in the parking lot adjacent to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Our Corner is now at West Market Street and Kensington, at 2105 West Market Street. You can find us there every Saturday, year-round, rain or shine, from 8am to noon.
Since those humble beginnings, our community has come out to The Corner Farmers Market every Saturday for more than a decade. We’ve added more growers, makers and bakers — and grown deep roots as a neighborhood source of nourishment.
Mission
The Corner Market is a community-run marketplace that provides customers a venue to interact directly with local growers, makers and bakers. We are committed to supporting the financial sustainability and food security of both our vendors and customers. Our goal is to improve opportunities for all in our community by promoting local economic development, increasing food access and serving as a cornerstone for community connection.
Nonprofit Status
By 2019, we had solid footing and had been approved by the USDA to accept SNAP benefits. We needed to support a larger market and our quickly growing SNAP matching program with grant funding. That year we formally registered with the IRS as Neighborhood Markets, Inc., a 501(c)3 non profit. This not only opened up the door for more grant opportunities, it meant that we qualified for federal pandemic relief support. All donations are tax deductible. Our EIN is 82-4395257.
Board
Our board consists of Kathy Newsom, Stephen Johnson, Liz Seymour and Brittney May.
If your community is exploring the idea of a neighborhood marketplace, we’d be happy to chat.
Support market operations
This fund pays our small but mighty staff, buys communal tents and equipment, covers other expenses like insurance. Our market runs on the rent our vendors pay combined with the support of our community.
Your support helps us keep our vendor fees low, and allows us to serve the community to its fullest.