Meet Luke and Amy Snow of FarmShop, LLC / Old Town Farm & Art Market

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke and Amy Snow.

Hi, Luke and Amy; we appreciate you sharing your story today. Where does your story begin?
We are Luke and Amy Snow, and in 2015, we founded our business, FarmShop, LLC. We set out to support the local food system in South Central Kansas by creating a unique business model centered around an innovative online local food hub. We opened a charming shop in Wichita’s Riverside neighborhood, offering a variety of local foods and organic gardening supplies. As word spread, our new business quickly became a resource for local entrepreneurs and a place for the local food community to connect. Just as we were about to launch our food hub in 2016, we were approached with an exciting opportunity to acquire Wichita’s downtown farmers’ market. Although the market had been operating for 23 years, it faced some challenges and needed revitalization. We were honored with the opportunity, but the thought of such a significant undertaking was daunting. However, we understood the importance of a vibrant farmers market for the local food scene, so we accepted the challenge. By 2017, we assumed complete operational control and entered our first season as market managers of Old Town Farmers Market.

Early on, we understood that if we were going to grow the market and develop a special place the city could be proud of, we needed to offer an exceptional experience for producers and consumers equally. We immediately implemented changes, such as a new logo and revised rules and regulations. We established stringent quality standards that guide, define, and shape the types of businesses we host. As we started to grasp the market’s potential impact, we made the pivotal but difficult decision to close FarmShop’s retail location and table the food hub concept so we could concentrate our efforts on creating an exceptional market experience.

As we embraced FarmShop’s new identity, we became wholly driven to reimagine the standards of market management through a lens of both small business support and placemaking. We started learning about how we could help the vendor companies we were hosting and consistently looked for ways to bridge the gap between local producers and consumers. We developed a rigorous vendor approval process to ensure that only the finest quality products made it to the market. We worked closely with the City of Wichita, area organizations, architects, developers, and area stakeholders to help plan infrastructure projects to improve the market’s ability to grow and become a centerpiece for commerce and culture downtown. By 2018, the market was transformed into a vibrant hub, breathing new life and reestablishing itself as a thriving community gathering spot. To continue the market’s growth, we rebranded ourselves as Old Town Farm & Art Market before the start of the 2019 outdoor season. This brought fresh and exciting energy to the market by combining the rich agricultural heritage and food producers with the vibrant handmade artisan and arts scene. As a result, by 2019, the market had grown to become the largest it had ever been.

Today, Old Town Farm & Art Market continues to grow and is a popular weekly destination for thousands of area residents and a must-see for visitors to the city. The market proudly hosts roughly 140 of the area’s best vendor companies throughout a 37-week season. Our footprint has expanded beyond Farm & Art Market Plaza and onto the surrounding streets to accommodate the growing number of vendors and organizations who join us each Saturday. The market has blossomed and made its mark as a thriving hub for vendor companies and a beloved attraction for residents and visitors alike. It’s been amazing to witness its growth!

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
The Covid lockdown mandate in 2020 had a catastrophic impact on many small businesses. Overnight, small businesses found themselves in a dire situation, with their doors closed and their livelihoods at stake. It was incredibly challenging for us to navigate the ever-changing situation, especially knowing that our decisions significantly impacted the livelihoods of numerous small businesses. During that time, the market operated throughout the year, shifting indoors at a local venue from November to March. Due to the lockdown mandate, we had to prematurely close the indoor market season and postpone the opening day of the outdoor season. Thankfully, farmers’ markets were designated as “essential services” so we could open and support small businesses and the community. We were thankful for the market’s invaluable benefits, such as access to fresh, locally sourced foods, the opportunity for face-to-face interactions, and the enjoyment of sunshine and fresh air. Despite the initial setbacks, the 2020 season was remarkable for our market and a much-needed respite for the community. Unfortunately, the venue where we held our indoor markets remained closed, preventing us from hosting the indoor market season later that year as planned. However, we refused to let this setback hold us back. Instead, we extended the outdoor season until the third week of December, resulting in a successful holiday season. This extension proved to be a good decision, as it boosted our vendors’ businesses and allowed the community to continue enjoying the market experience when it was needed the most. Since then, we have continued extending the outdoor season through mid-December.

I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about FarmShop, LLC / Old Town Farm & Art Market?
Since acquiring Old Town Farm & Art Market in 2017, we have proudly hosted hundreds of vendor companies and managed diverse indoor and outdoor markets, both large and small. The market has been a powerful catalyst for the growth and success of small businesses of varying sizes, playing a pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurship and economic development. Our work has afforded us a unique perspective on small business and vendor management, enabling us to uniquely understand their strengths and challenges. FarmShop now provides customized services for farmers’ markets and vendor-based events. Our offerings include market and event management, free vendor training modules for vendor companies, and consultation services for vendors, markets, and managers. For more information about FarmShop’s free training and services, please visit farmshopllc.com. To learn more about the market, please visit oldotownfarmandartmarket.com.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Wichita is truly a hidden gem in the Midwest that we love. The sense of community here is fantastic, and it never fails to inspire us with its entrepreneurial spirit. Whether looking for a lively local scene, exciting attractions for the entire family, or a warm and welcoming midwestern atmosphere, Wichita has it all!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oldtownfarmandartmarket.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldtownfarmandartmarket
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oldtownfarmandartmarketwichita