Resident plans Nevada's first farmers market, starting this summer downtown

From local produce to crafts, Bre Taege is bringing a farmers market to downtown Nevada.

After completing the Main Street Nevada leadership program and learning about the Nevada 2040 plan, Taege stepped up to lead the city's first market It will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, May 4 to Aug. 31.

"There's not much to do in Nevada in the evenings," Taege said. "People seem excited about the market and are happy to have a place to be in the evenings on weekdays. And the businesses have responded to the shop local and shop downtown theme."

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Taege grew up in Ames and moved to Nevada five years ago for a job with Evie Peterson, who owns Farmhouse Catering, Gatherings event venue, FarmGrounds coffee shop, FarmPond Inn and Copper Spaces, a coworking office space venue.

"I fell in love with the town," Taege said. "Seeing the community growing and seeing businesses coming to town and the fun environment is contagious and I wanted to get involved in that."

The farmers market will be located on Sixth Street between J and K avenues. The street will close down at 4 p.m. every Thursday for vendors to set up.

For now, the market will be only one block long.

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Teage envisions having food trucks and vendors that sell locally grown produce, baked goods, flowers and crafts.

"Growing up, I went to the farmers market on Main Street in Ames with my family. I've also been to the West Des Moines Farmers Market in Valley Junction," Taege said. "My dream is a combination of those two markets with a similar layout as the Valley Junction market and maybe some musicians, maybe a guitar player in a tent. But I'm open to what this could be."

The plan is to place the vendors in the street and have their booths face the storefronts. Shoppers would access both the market and downtown businesses from the sidewalks.

The trick to making the plan work, Taege said, is to coordinate with Snack Time Family Restaurant and State Bank & Trust Co. Both businesses are located on the section of Sixth Street that will be closed for the market. Taege said she has met with the owners of Snack Time and the bank manager to ensure their customers can access the businesses.

"There's been no one who's been super negative about the plan," Taege said. "People are just bringing up issues that I need to think about, like access for Snack Time and the bank's drive-through. ... Their customers might have to park around the corner and walk a little bit further."

Taege presented her plan to the Nevada City Council on Feb. 13 to an enthusiastic audience. She asked the city for no financial assistance, just support and encouragement. The fire and police departments are both on board and are helping Taege with the plans, she said.

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Council members Steve Skaggs, Jason Sampson and Sandy Ehrig said they are in favor of bringing a market to down. "This is something we've talked about for years," Skaggs said.

Ehrig was so excited about the plan she wondered if "you might not have enough space for all of the vendors who want to come."

Taege said she sent surveys to Sixth Street businesses and they all came back with positive comments. In the survey she also asked business owners if they were comfortable with food trucks at the market and she invited them to be involved as volunteers.

"I don't want to step on the toes of our business people. I want to promote businesses and I don't want to bring in businesses that will compete with those already established downtown," Taege said.

Taege said she hasn't reached out to vendors yet. Taege will soon set up a steering committee to help make the plan a reality and is looking for volunteers to help with logistics during the market.

People interested in volunteering or becoming a vendor can reach her at brtaege@gmail.com.

Teresa Kay Albertson covers politics, crime, courts and local government in Ames and central Iowa for the Ames Tribune and Des Moines Register. Reach her on Twitter @TeresaAlberts11 and at talbertson@registermedia.com, 515-419-6098.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Nevada's new farmers market will feature fresh produce, food trucks