By Allie Cushnyr, Chair, Kern County Young Farmers & Ranchers
IT’S BACK!!! The Kern County Young Farmers and Ranchers Annual Charity Farmer’s Market has officially returned, and we are thrilled! In 2020, like many other things, we took the year off from the market and gave back in other ways. Now that life is getting back to its normal rhythm, we are so happy to have the fundraiser back. The 6th Annual Farmer’s Market will be held on July 10th, 2021 from 8am to 12pm. It will be located at Farm Credit West (19628 Industry Pkwy Drive 93308), which is east of Hwy 99 off Merle Haggard Drive. If you are a farmer and would like to donate produce, please reach out to us via the email at the bottom of this article.
This year’s proceeds will benefit both the Norris Middle School’s Edible Garden and the Kern County YF&R program. This is a unique project because the middle school already has garden beds, but there are additions that need to be made and we are looking forward to helping. Some items on their wish list include a long skinny shed to house their garden tools and equipment, worktables, benches, and fruit trees.
Now, you may be asking yourself, how can I support the event? A couple of ways include showing up to the market and making a donation in return for produce. Our market is unique because there is just a suggested donation for each item. You choose what produce you want to take home, and when you are ready to check out, you choose how much you want to donate. Other ways to support include making a donation to Kern YF&R if you cannot make it to the event or becoming an event sponsor if your business wants to support the cause.
Our next event after the Farmer’s Market is planned to be a social near the end of July. Be on the lookout via social media or our emails to get all the details about the event. We encourage new people to come out if you are interested in being a part of the Kern County YF&R group. We do not require you to be a member of Farm Bureau to come to our meetings (but if you do decide to join, then great!). There is no cost for the meeting, and if you are wondering if a meeting is family friendly (like bringing your children), just send us an email and ask! We hope to see you there!
Being a part of the Kern County Young Farmers and Ranchers comes at no cost, and we welcome everyone between 18-35 years old. This is a great group to be a part of to give back to the community, network with other professionals, and have a good time with friends. If you would like to jump on our email list to receive information about upcoming events, please reach out to us. We are also active on both Facebook and Instagram.
Email: KernYFR@KernCFB.com
Instagram: @KernYFR
Facebook: KernYoungFarmersAndRanchers
