LISBON — Residents are working to start a farmers market this spring at the former Worumbo Mill site in downtown Lisbon Falls.
Angelica Inglis of Lisbon said she was surprised to learn this year that the closest farmers market was in neighboring Lewiston.
“We’re just as active with our businesses as Lewiston, and so why wouldn’t we have one here?” she asked.
It soon became clear that if she wanted to see a farmers market in Lisbon, she would have to start one.
She got advice from the people who started a farmers market in Sabattus last year and has recently been working to create a nonprofit to run the market. Leanna Caine and Stormy Hicks of Lisbon have been helping Inglis get the market up and running.
After posting to the Lisbon Maine Community Page on Facebook, Inglis said she received a great deal of positive feedback for the idea.
“So many people who are excited about it,” she said.
Inglis isn’t sure when the market will start. She’s trying to recruit volunteers and raise money to offset some unexpected expenses, including insurance and filing for the soon-to-be nonprofit. But she hopes for the market to begin sometime in May.
The market won’t just be a place for locals to sell homegrown food and handmade items, but also a way to build community and educate people about agriculture and the environment.
“(Farmers markets) build the community, get people together, (and) support local businesses,” she said. “It just really brings people together.”
Once Inglis and her partners are able to create the nonprofit organization, they can begin accepting applications for vendors. The market will be held weekly on Sundays, she said.
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