Overton Park adds farmers market

What started as a student initiative at Rhodes College in 2012 has now found a home at Overton Park.

The Overton Park Community Farmers Market debuted Sept. 3 at the Overton Park East Parkway Pavilion at 389 East Parkway N. It will be held Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 29. It will start again the first Thursday in April and run through the end of October.

The market is a collaboration between Rhodes College and the Overton Park Conservancy.

The market was housed on campus near the library until moving to the nearby Evergreen Presbyterian Church property in 2014. The market was held there until June 25.

“One of our missions is to provide better access to fruits and vegetables to the community,” said Kimberly Kasper, Market Manager.

The move to Overton Park immediately increased capacity by 400 percent and accessibility to a larger part of the community.

The market has a two-faceted mission: serve as a space for farmers to sell their produce and to create better access for the community at large.


“All of our farmers are local urban growers,” Kasper said. “They’re growing in Midtown or in Memphis or just right outside the city. It’s a great space for them to sell their product.”

For the community, the location where Sam Cooper Boulevard meets East Parkway gives access to commuters, pedestrians and cyclists. But more than that, the location gives access to a greater demographic mix.

An important focus is on SNAP/EBT card users, Kasper said. The market is enrolled in the Double Greens Program, which means EBT dollars go twice as far. When the card is swiped for $10 the market will give $10 to spend on additional fruits and vegetables.

The AARP recently gave funding to the market to increase that access for low-income shoppers. The funding goes through 2019.