Emiliah Morrison had seen small roadside stands around Orion selling fruits and vegetables here and there but there was never a permanent option for her community or her clients at the Orion Fitness Center to get locally grown healthy food on a regular basis. She recently made up her mind to change that. “I decided to start a farmer’s market because I want to bring more healthy options to my clients and community. I am all about supporting local, so I want to help as many local farmers as I can.”
The new Orion Farmers’ Market’s grand opening is planned for Sunday, June 12 and Morrison intends to have the market open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all summer and into fall. “The market will be open until the end of the season, which is usually the end of October. My fitness center has offered smaller scale opportunities for clients to order healthy foods from a few local vendors and pick it up at my location. I am now offering it in a larger scale to my community.” The market will be located at 14257 E. 200th Street, at the Orion Fitness Center.
Current plans call for the market to carry fresh vegetables, fruits, meats and products produced by local farmers. She also encourages crafters and other handmade item vendors to contact the market to ask about space. “We are also still taking applications for seasonal and drop in vendors. To become a vendor, you can reach us via social media messaging or via email at [email protected].”
Along with building the physical market and lining up vendors, Morrison is busy building the online and social media presence. “We are on social media as Orion Farmers’ Market on Facebook and Instagram. We are still working on building a website, which will help vendors show and sell their products. Online purchasing is definitely a goal for us.” The market is currently going through the process to be able to take SNAP payments, to help even more residents buy healthy food. “We are in the process of supporting the SNAP program but have not yet received the equipment to facilitate it yet.”
