About the market
Mission & Goals
Foothills Farmers' Market is a grower-certified market that provides community access to the freshest, best quality foods available anywhere. We value family farms, endorse sustainable production practices and innovation, contribute to the health and prosperity of the local community, and support the creation of a local food economy. A joint project of NC Cooperative Extension, Uptown Shelby Association and Cleveland County Chamber, the market seeks to:- Reduce risk to farmers by creating a viable retail market for locally-grown fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and value-added products
- Create opportunities for small and mid-size family farms to engage profitably in production agriculture
- Improve public health through increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Enhance tourism and retail trade in Uptown Shelby through spillover of farmers' market shoppers
- Strengthen the social fabric of the community by building awareness and appreciation for local agriculture
Daily operations are managed by a part-time market manager. A steering committee provides oversight and planning.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader© to view the files listed below. Download a free copy at Adobe.com.
Steering committee members
The Foothills Farmers' Market Steering Committee is responsible for oversight & planning:- Ted Alexander :: City of Shelby Mayor
- Jo Boggs :: Cleveland County Commissioner
- Dr. Sandy Brenneman :: Consumer & community building coach
- Tim Crotts :: vendor representative
- Shannon Hovis :: Dover Foundation YMCA
- Loyd Lewis :: vendor representative
- Wade Nichols :: Uptown Shelby Association
- Daniel Shires :: NC Cooperative Extension
- Anne Short :: Cleveland County Alliance for Health
- Jackie Sibley :: Cleveland County Tourism
- Greg Traywick :: NC Cooperative Extension
- Christy Underwood :: Vendor representative
- Johnny White :: Harvest Works
- Jonathan Dyer :: Market Manager
Organizational Documents
Production Team
The Production Team is charged with increasing diversity/specialization of products and extending the growing/selling season through careful collaboration among producers and supporting the development of new capabilities for production. Team members include:- Lori Wellmon (team leader)
- Loyd Lewis
- Ronnie Roper
- Chip Camp
- Cynthia Glidden
- Daniel Shires
- Lara Worden
Promotion Team
The Promotion Team is charged with developing and implementing a comprehensive, regular promotional strategy for the FFM that will establish a brand name for this community enterprise that is different from other local farmers' market experiences and that will increase the number of people from Cleveland County and beyond who shop at FFM regularly. Team members include:- Wade Nichols
- Tim Crotts
- Thomas Lewis
- Jackie Sibley
- Lowrey Young