Happy Spring, everybody! I hope this post finds you enjoying the beautiful weather and finding joy in nature’s beauty at a time when the world seems for very uncertain. We’ve got some exciting news about a new service in Cookeville called “Cookeville Locally Grown”.
Since we began selling our products nearly a year ago, we have set up twice a week (weather permitting) at the Downtown Green Market in Cookeville. We have loved being there and getting to know our valued customers over time. Sadly, our time there has come to an end. We wish the market success as it continues forward.
This is where the big news comes in! We are excited to announce a new food concept for the Cookeville area that will grow the natural farmer’s market concept into a complete, full-service model to provide sustainable, healthy, naturally grown food directly from farmers to your table. Jim Stockton and Randy Dodson have been dreaming of this for years, and it is now coming to fruition at the perfect time — when we all need more reliable ways to access our food! The new market is called Cookeville Locally Grown and the Walnut Street Market.
Cookeville Locally Grown (CLG) will be providing a pre-order and pickup twice weekly every week beginning this week (we hope!). We did a soft opening this past week to work out the bugs. Through this service, you’ll be able to go online and pre-order the items you want from a variety of vendors in our local area. The orders will then be packaged together for you to pick up at the Walnut Street Market located at 136 S Walnut Avenue in Cookeville (more on this in a moment). Lately, the big stores are so backed up that you can’t get a pickup time even if you try! What a blessing that we’ll now be able to provide this service to our beloved customers directly! Check out the screenshot below to get an idea of what the online shop looks like:
In conjunction with CLG, late this spring or early summer we will be opening the Walnut Street Market which will be a store you can shop 6 days a week for the same awesome products at your convenience! We’ll also be offering classes and so many other community activities and services. You are going to want to be involved in all the good that will come from this store! There will also be a periodic farmer’s market setup with the store as well so you’ll still have the opportunity to interact with all of us the same way you’ve come to love.
We’re so excited to be a part of Jim and Randy’s dream. It may seem that this is arising out of the current COVID-19 crisis, but in reality, it’s been their dream for many years. God has beautifully orchestrated the timing of its opening to coincide with a time in history unlike any other we’ve seen, and as a result, we, as farmers, will be able to better serve you in a safe manner.
If you would like to be on the email list for CLG so that you can order from the online market as soon as it is open to the public, please send an email to cookevillelocallygrown@gmail.com. You can also email us at info@alararidgefarm.com and we’ll make sure to get you on the list.
This week, we participated in pre-orders by email and for the soft opening on the website. You can still order ahead tonight (Thursday 4/9/20) or tomorrow and I’ll have your orders ready to pick up Saturday morning at the Walnut Street Market. I’m also planning on setting up with all my products during the pickup so even if you don’t get your order in, you still have a chance to get what you need. (Some supplies are limited, so to guarantee your choices are available, be sure to pre-order. For a full list of what’s available, email us.)
I’d love to hear what you think about the new market below!
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