Goochland students win farmers market poster contest, designs chosen countywide

Goochland High School students turned a classroom art challenge into something shoppers will see on posters, flyers and market promotions across two counties. Evelyn J.’s design was selected to represent the Goochland 2026 season, and Libby O.’s artwork was chosen for the Powhatan Farmers Market after judges found the contest strong enough to name two winners.

The result gives the project a reach well beyond the school walls. Goochland County’s sponsorship materials show that the Goochland and Powhatan farmers markets share joint marketing support, including print pieces such as flyers and posters, so the winning designs will help shape how both markets present themselves to the public. For families, vendors and regular market-goers, the students’ work will become part of the visible identity of a county service that is already tied closely to local food, small business and community events.

The Goochland Farmers Market is owned and operated by the Goochland County Parks & Recreation Department and is located at 1889 Sandy Hook Road in Goochland, VA 23063. The market runs Tuesdays from May through September, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and features seasonal produce, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, fruits, berries, honey, baked goods, artisan crafts, weekly food trucks and live music.

The poster contest also reflects a broader shift in how the markets are run. Powhatan Village and Goochland Courthouse farmers markets were previously operated by RVAg, but Goochland and Powhatan counties took over their markets through their parks and recreation departments. County materials say the two counties launched their inaugural county-run farmers market season in 2025, with Sarah Soldat hired in September 2024 as part-time farmers market manager to help oversee both markets.

That transition followed a period of change at RVAg, where founder and executive director Lisa Dearden announced her retirement in late 2024 after nearly two decades of work. County reporting also noted that the Powhatan market’s Kid Zone had been integrated over the previous two years, showing how the two markets have continued to evolve as county-run operations.

For Goochland High School, the contest gave students a public-facing role in that evolution. Their artwork will not stay in an art room or hallway display; it will help market the Goochland and Powhatan farmers markets to the people who shop them, support them and recognize them as part of county life.