Bagley Farmers Market Receives SHIP Funding to Increase Access to Local Produce

Bagley Farmers Market received funding from the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) to help increase access to healthier food options in the community. The grant assists the organization by providing funding for promotional advertising of the market. 

Bagley Farmers Market opened for the first time this year on Friday, July 17. 

"Our opening day went awesome! Everything went really smoothly and it was a great kick off. We had 11 vendors and many people redeemed the coupon we had in the paper,” said Annie Braught, Market Manager. 

SHIP, which is funded by the Minnesota Department of Health, invests in local communities to improve health for all by preventing the leading causes of chronic disease: obesity and tobacco use. 

North Country Health Alliance (NCHA) is the local grantee for SHIP. NCHA is a group consisting of four counties: Clearwater, Hubbard, Beltrami and Lake of the Woods. The group works on grant funded projects such as SHIP and the Community Transformation Grant. They work collaboratively with local organizations to increase opportunities for healthier foods and physical activity and decrease tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. 

Since it launched in 2009, SHIP has been helping communities across Minnesota provide ways to build healthier lifestyles with lasting benefits. Poor nutrition, a lack of physical activity and obesity and smoking  are some of the most prominent leading causes contributing to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes as well as a factor in causing pre-mature deaths.

“SHIP has helped us by funding for market promotion, and helping build a broader and consistent customer base. We are doing a weekly drawing for a $20 gift certificate for the market,” said Braught. “Opening weekend had a great response from the $5 coupon in the paper, which was also funded by SHIP,” she added. 

According to the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, “Farmers markets are an opportunity for the public to buy fresh fruits, vegetables and food products directly from farmers, growers  or producers. Locally grown products are picked fresh and brought straight to the market and sold by the growers themselves.” Farmers markets are located across the state and can be found by going to the Minnesota Grown website, www.minnesotagrown.com.  

“I think the opportunity that the market offers, especially by accepting EBT, and credit/debit cards, it opens up a whole new world for our community to get good quality locally grown food for at least 10 weeks of every year,” said Braught. “We also got a couple new vendors who showed up, so I think we are off to a good season,” added Braught. 

The market is open every Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. near Galli Furniture on Highway 92 in Bagley.  For more information about NCHA’s SHIP efforts, please visit www.ncchb.org. For more information on the Bagley Area Farmers Market, find them on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bagleyfarmersmarket.