Food for Thought Summer Market
Wyoming Food for Thought Project took over management of the formally known Downtown Casper Farmers Market in December 2012. The initial thought was that we were going to get to know our local growers and producers to be able to put more local produce into our weekend food bag program. However, we quickly found out that there were not as many producers as we would have hoped for, and that the ones that did exist within our community were completely tapped out.
Since then, we have expanded the Summer Markets, to not only include more local vendors, but also offer options for SNAP users, offer a Double Up Food Bucks Program, Power of Produce (POP) Club for Kids, host pop-up markets, offer a Winter Makers Market, and more!
You can now check us out at David Street Station on Tuesday nights from 5-8pm, all summer long!
Vendor Information
Vendors who sell handmade, homemade or homegrown items are encouraged to participate! Contact us for more information.
Local Partners
The Food for Thought Markets are truly a community event. It takes many partnerships to make the Summer Market the great year-round event it has become. We would like to thank all of our supporters and sponsors for your contributions and continual encouragement - we wouldn't be where are today without you!
PARTNERS:
City of Casper, David Street Station, WCDA, Downtown Development Authority, our wide variety of local vendors, and the public, too!
Market Programs
There are three core programs we offer at our Food for Thought Summer Markets: acceptance of SNAP Benefits, POP Club for Kids, and Double Up Food Bucks for SNAP users. Some rules and restrictions may apply. Click on the logo below for more information, or contact us.
Weekly Market Program Sponsors
Our Weekly Market Program Sponsors help us to provide various programs for disenfranchised populations and kids that come to our markets. These programs include SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, and POP Club for Kids. We accept SNAP benefits at our markets, which provides low-income families with the ability to use their Wyoming EBT Card on approved purchases. Double Up Food Bucks can be administered to these users on fresh produce purchases they make at the market, which can be matched up to $20 per market day. POP Club for Kids is an activity booth that encourages healthy eating and being active. To learn more about these programs, visit our Market Programs page. To become a Weekly Market Program Sponsor, contact us now!
Market Vendors
There are a wide variety of vendors who come to the Summer Market! Some vendors are full-season vendors who you can expect to see every week, while others come and go, whether they are trying out the market or selling seasonal products. Vendors who participate in the Summer Market sell locally handmade, homemade or homegrown products, such as fresh produce, baked and canned goods, body care products, home decor and so much more. We also have mobile vendors on site who provide various dinner options and other delicious treats!
To find out which vendors you can expect to see at the market each week, follow us on Facebook, or contact us through the button below.
Free Promotional Space
Our Free Promotional Space is provided to local businesses and organizations interested in promoting free events or services they offer. This is a shared 10’x10’ market booth space, with a limit of two spaces per market. Selling tickets or product at this table is prohibited.
If you are interested in this free booth space, click the link below to fill out our online vendor application.
Shared Community Table
Do you have an overabundant amount of produce? Is your family tired of eating tomatoes for every meal? Consider selling your excess produce on the Community Table at the Food for Thought Summer Markets!
For just $10, you can reserve your spot on the Community Table, where you can sell any excess produce coming from your home garden. This may include herbs, fruits, vegetables and more. This is a great opportunity for many of our local backyard growers, because you can pick the markets to participate in, based on your produce availability, and you are not stuck breaking even (or even losing money) by having a regular vendor booth.
Live Entertainment
The Summer Market is a great place to enjoy the nice weather, shop with local vendors, and listen to some live music. This year, we will be utilizing the busking station at David Street Station for our live entertainment at the Summer Markets.
To schedule a performance time, click the link below. Small ensemble or solo performers are encouraged to participate.
#WyMarketsMatter
Wyoming Food for Thought Project is partnering with the University of Wyoming to run a #WyMarketsMatter Research Project to assess how different farmers market coupons impact food security, fruit and vegetable consumption, and accessibility of farmers markets.
We are looking for families that are eligible for SNAP, WIC, or free/reduced school lunches. To sign up, families must attend the Food for Thought Summer Market at David Street Station on Tuesday night, August 6th, between 5-8pm. Families must be willing to complete a short survey on August 6th when they sign up as well as on September 10th.
2019 Food for Thought Summer Market Impact
The Food for Thought Markets made a huge impact on our community in 2019! Not only did we provide over 120 children with POP (Power of Produce) Bucks to spend on fruits and vegetables, but we provided over 60 SNAP users with access to fresh, locally made goods! Below we have outlined additional impacts that the Summer Market made in 2019.
We provided over 70 vendors with business opportunities at the Summer Market in 2019.
We redirected $1,000 of SNAP benefits towards our local economy at the Summer Market in 2019.
The Summer Market and its vendors brought in over $105,000 for our local economy in 2019.