By: Amanda Milholland, Food Co-op Produce Manager and JCFM Equity Committee Member

During this pandemic we have seen the importance of small local businesses to our economy. When local businesses thrive, the positive impact ripples out, supporting the livability and vibrancy of our community. The Food Co-op is pleased to support the launch of the Jefferson County Farmers Markets (JCFM) BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Business Start-up Fund. This fund, a project developed by the JCFM Equity Committee, is designed to increase the accessibility of the farmers market for new BIPOC-owned small businesses.

Historically and today, systematic racism impacts access to traditional financing, inherited wealth, and financial resources for BIPOC folks. The Start-Up Business Fund is one way that JCFM aims to remove barriers to participating in the farmers market as a means of building an inclusive, welcoming market. The Food Co-op is a financial supporter of this fund along with the Olympic Peninsula’s Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship.

Those applying to the fund may receive $250-$1000 to procure supplies, mobile equipment, marketing materials and signage, or other start-up costs—no strings attached. In addition to financial support, the JCFM Equity Committee plans to connect fund participants to other local resources, such as business planning provided by the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, coaching for selling wholesale to the Food Co-op, and other resources as relevant.

Want to learn more? The Farmers Market vendor application and BIPOC Business Start-up Fund application are available at https://jcfmarkets.org/apply.

Please contact JCFM if you are interested in supporting this project.