Hazard garden party highlights Perry County’s local food network

A backyard garden party in Hazard drew together Community Farm Alliance members, longtime supporters and newcomers in a setting that reflected how Perry County’s local food network actually works: through relationships first, then through the market tables and nutrition programs residents see each week.

The gathering, hosted in April by longtime CFA member Jenny Williams, brought in friends of the organization and several people with ties to the Perry County Farmers Market. CFA staff member Jennifer Weeber said the informal setting captured the organization’s mission in a way a meeting room never could. “The casual, backyard gathering really reminded her of the importance of community in the work we do,” Weeber said.

That sense of community matters in Perry County because the farmers market is more than a place to shop. County government describes the Perry County Farmers Market as one of the longest-running farmers markets in the region, and says its season runs from May 28 through Oct. 16. The market serves as a direct link between local producers and consumers, with homegrown seasonal produce, handmade crafts and a steady stream of marketgoers in downtown Hazard next to Triangle Park.

The market also plays a public health role. According to county materials, it accepts SNAP, WIC and Senior Vouchers, and a $5 SNAP purchase can be doubled to $10 worth of produce with support from Community Farm Alliance, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky and individual donors. The market’s own site lists SNAP/EBT, credit and debit cards, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Benefits and cash, along with Carrot Cash for children 17 and younger. Summer hours are Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Hazard gathering also pointed to the deeper infrastructure behind local food access. North Fork Local Foods began at the Perry County Farmers Market in 2015, after farmers, food producers and consumers developed a local food action plan for Hazard with help from a USDA and EPA Local Food Local Places grant. The Mountain Association says North Fork supports about 35 vendors from across Appalachian Kentucky, giving growers a year-round place to sell and build market capacity beyond the weekly season.

Community Farm Alliance has long argued that farmers markets do not simply appear on their own. In Perry County, the market is supervised by North Fork Local Foods through Market Manager Emily Whitaker, Board Chair Jennifer Weeber and CFA Farm to Table Associate Carolyn Davis. CFA also runs Double Dollars, a program that helps customers using federal nutrition benefits buy more locally grown food.

That is why a small garden party in Hazard carried weight beyond the afternoon itself. It reinforced the ties among gardeners, market leaders and food access advocates that keep Perry County’s local food economy moving, from backyard conversations to Triangle Park market stalls and the families who depend on them.