Mission
The Lexington Farmers’ Market exists to provide a living wage for farmers; sustain farms & farm land; provide Lexington with fresh, high-quality, accessible agricultural products; and stimulate the local economy.
Board of Directors
As a member-owned not-for-profit cooperative, our Board of Directors is composed of farmers that are active in the cooperative and elected by their peers.
2025 Board of Directors
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- John Garey (Martin Mills Farm)
- Ryan Burnette (Hickory Grove Farm)
- Tara Lawson (Tara’s Plants and Petals)
- Savannah McGuire (Sav’s Garden)
- Leo Keene (Blue Moon Farm)
- Mark Henkle (Henkle’s Herb & Heirlooms)
- Eric Lanham (Baby Leaf Farm)
- Adrienne Eggum (Stonehedge Farm Produce)
- Shelby Benton (Diamond Ridge Farm)
- Jamie Lewis (Bourbon County Bison)
- Joshua Dahler (Mountain House Mushrooms)
History
In the early 1970s, farmers, with the leadership of Pam Miller (later to become Mayor of Lexington), fought for the ability to bring local produce into the heart of Downtown Lexington. This fight eventually resulted in farmers from across Central Kentucky banding together to launch an new organization .
Established in 1975 as the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association (more commonly known as The Lexington Farmers’ Market or LFM) is a cooperative run by a group of farmers who are elected by member farmers to serve as the Board of Directors. Farmers that sell at the market are members of the cooperative, and attend annual member meetings to vote for their the fellow farmers that will lead the market by serving on the Board of Directors. Unlike many non-profit organizations, the LFM Board is made up exclusively of member farmers, who make membership, long-term planning, and major financial decisions for the market and supervise staff. While the LFM partners with many neighborhoods, community groups, and government agencies, it is an independent not-for-profit agricultural cooperative.
The Lexington Farmers’ Market operates a year-round market in Downtown Lexington in Henry A Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park) and the area around the Historic Old Courthouse (though we have historically used a number of nearby indoor locations to keep the market going through the coldest winter months, including, most recently, Greyline Station). While in the winter the number of growers attending the market often shrinks, by May the markets expands to over 60 farmers at seasonal locations that cover five days each week. Some of our farmers only come to the market during the peak seasons for their specialties, such as mid-summer for sweet corn or tomatoes, but others come year round with value-added or expanded product lines.
In 2005, the LFM launched a new Sunday market on Southland Dr. The Sunday market instantly became a big hit with customers. It is now nearly as large as our Saturday market downtown.
In 2024, the long-running Tuesday & Thursday market at the corner of Maxwell and Broadway was forced to relocate due to redevelopment of the Rupp Arena lot. The Tuesday & Thursday market relocated to National Ave., beginning with the 2024 season.
The Lexington Farmers’ Market is an official Kentucky Proud Registered Farmers’ Market
