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Bossier City Farmer's Market owners: 'We want to keep this going, no interruptions'

Kate Archer Kent

A pair of Bossier City entrepreneurs will launch an almost year-round farmer’s market at Pierre Bossier Mall Saturday. Jacob Guerra fondly recalls frequenting a farmer’s market growing up in Orlando, Florida.

Guerra says the Shreveport Farmers Market and many smaller ones in the area have a short season. Guerra wants to create a market for all seasons. Saturday’s market will feature 75 vendors with room for 200 in the future.

“The idea of a Bossier City farmer’s market has been there forever. But no one has taken the time to invest a lot money into it and to do it right,” Guerra said, who added he’s put up more than $20,000 to get it established. “We really wanted to do it ourselves to make sure it’s done right and to provide a good location for the local community to come out and shop local.”

The number of farmer’s markets nationwide has quadrupled over the past decade, according to a new report by consumer health site Better Doctor. The study mined data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and found more than 2,000 new markets have popped up since 2010. The study ranked Shreveport’s market 19th in the nation for being community oriented, like accepting SNAP food stamp benefits, according to Better Doctor analyst Andrea D’Eramo.

“A lot of it has to do with younger folks -- especially millennials -- digging into this movement, and older people realizing nutrition is very important to health,” D’Eramo said.

Maribel Guillen, 28, has always wanted to own a business, and now she does. She cleans homes, but every spare minute is devoted to her venture FlanTasic & More. Along with her baker sister-in-law they’ll sell flan and traditional Mexican pastries at the Bossier City market.

“We’re really excited about this one because it’s a larger scale,” Guillen said, who participated in the Highland Farmers Market in June. “We’re expecting more people. It’s really exciting. We’re a nervous wreck right now.”

Soap maker and Bossier City Farmer’s Market business co-owner Scott Graham wants to build a reliable market where dollars can stay in the local community. He wants farmers and cottage industry business owners, like himself, to have a place to sell their goods weekly.

“There was definitely a void in the market. The vendors that are in this area have had to go to Shreveport and some of the other smaller markets. They really needed a place where they could bring their produce, vegetables and wares every week,” Graham said.

The Bossier City Farmer’s Market opens Saturday, Aug. 1, at Pierre Bossier Mall, 2950 E. Texas St., Bossier City. It will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday through Dec. 19. Next year’s market will operate April 2 through Dec. 17. There will be food trucks and children’s activities. Graham suggests people step into the mall to cool down and access its free wifi.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.
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