How Farmers Markets Fit Into Hoosier Food Systems

Interest in buying local food has only increased since 2020 according to local leaders, and this market season, farmers and consumers alike are leaning on local farmer’s markets more than ever. This article has been updated as of May 22, 2025, to feature the work of More Than Corn in their work with Full Hand Farms in Noblesville.

From their porch, a collection of Wendell Barry poems in hand, Liz and Nate Brownlee watched the sun go down over their property. From then on, the farm was named Nightfall.

Over a decade ago, the Brownlees established Nightfall Farm on a 250 acre plot Liz’s family had previously leased out to soybean and corn producers. They converted 100 acres of tillable land to prairie grass and grazing pastures, and opened up shop for sale of sheep, poultry and pork.

“I was taught to get an education and get off the farm. We came to farming, really, through a love of the natural world and wanting to see if we can be good stewards of it,” said Brownlee. Brownlee sat on the board of the Indiana Young Farmer’s Coalition for a number of years, and Nightfall operates an apprenticeship program through the Savanna Institute. “We both love Indiana. We really wanted to be of use, and there’s a lot of work to be done here in terms of local food.”

Their story represents one corner in the diverse and growing patchwork of Indiana’s agricultural industry. Indiana has over 55,500 farms, with an average farm size of 245 acres and according to IN.gov. However, only 10% of the food we eat was produced here in Indiana. 

“We’ve heard from a lot of customers over the years that they used to have to drive to Cincinnati to get what they can now find at the farmers market 20 minutes down the road,” said Brownlee. “We felt like it was the best way we could use our time, providing food for sale in our community that wasn’t here.”

According to Christine Ferroli of Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice, there are between 175 and 180 farmers markets across Indiana. “That just shows how Hoosiers are really stepping up and valuing local foods and access to local foods,” she said. 

With grocery prices on the rise, and increased shipping costs limiting imports, consumers are shifting to local producers and food systems for an answer. Farmers markets are traditionally the first port of call for people trying to buy local meat and produce, and this market season is no exception. 

The Landscape of Local Markets

Through their docuseries, More Than Corn, 12 Stars Media has been documenting the stories of Hoosier farmers for years. In collaboration with Partners IN Food and Farming and the Broad Ripple Farmers Market, they’ve spotlighted farms like Nightfall and Full Hand Farms in Noblesville. 

Owners of Full Hand Farms in Noblesville Genesis McKiernan-Allen and Eli Robb plan their crop rotation a year in advance based on the detailed market records from the years before. Crops are picked early in the morning before field heat sets in. They load their refrigerated truck the night before and arrive at the market at 6 a.m. to set up. 

“Going to market is a part of a weekly rhythm for us”,  McKiernan-Allen told More Than Corn. The Full Hand Farms staff of 10 in peak season begin harvesting as many as 25 different vegetables on Wednesday for Saturday market. 

The height of market season in Indiana runs May through October, with most farmers markets running on Saturday mornings. A few midweek exceptions allow shoppers to grab local ingredients after they’re done with work. Certain Indiana communities, like Bloomington and Irvington, are seeing such an interest in local farm products that there’s room for Community Supported Agriculture and Farm Stops to emerge.

Most farmer’s market shoppers expect to pay a premium for buying local, but inflated grocery prices are narrowing that gap. A well-placed farmer’s market can also make a huge impact on main street businesses. Yorktown is one example; their market gets thousands of visitors each weekend, and nearby brick and mortar stores report a higher profit during peak market hours.

“When we were getting started we didn’t anticipate seeing the same faces week after week, talking about the food we grow, encouraging someone to try something new. Food is so basic. It’s how we live. It’s amazing to be able to connect with people who are really passionate and curious [about what we do],” McKiernan-Allen said in the Full Hand Farms episode of More Than Corn.

The Future of Markets and Local Food

Beyond the entertainment value, farmers also see these weekly markets as a regular opportunity to educate the public on their product. A growing interest in what we eat has also created a need for farmers that know how to answer. 

 “There’s a correlation between eating local diets and living longer, healthier lives”, Ferroli says.

But not all farmers want to address the public every week. Lessie Lennon, owner of Celtic Glenn Heritage Livestock, moved away from farmers markets altogether in favor of the Bloomington Farm Stop, “It allows us to spend our time farming rather than vending.” Under their farmer-operated storefront, 52 different local vendors sell their goods on consignment all week long. 

Manager Bobbie Boos said this model often is beneficial to farmers whether or not they participate in farmers markets, “for a farmer, you have to commit to the market, right? You pay your dues, you go rain or shine. You never know if it’s going to be a good day to actually sell your goods. you hope you sell them. Whereas here, you harvest, you drop them off, and we do the rest.”

Not every community is ready to support a model like Community Supported Agriculture or a Farm Stop program, and not every shopper would rather a store model or pickup system. The diversity of these systems instead shows a need for a wider variety of ways to access local food.

Problems Facing Local Farms

The watchword of Indiana agriculture this year has so far been ‘uncertainty.’ Federal funding through the USDA has come under scrutiny alongside other programs, meanwhile looming tariffs leave Indiana corn and soybean producers to wonder how much of a hit they should plan to take.

For small, independent farmers, this uncertainty has raised interest in building strength and security without complete reliance on federal or state programs. However, their problems are often unique and complex. Farms have a high startup cost, where farmland can run anywhere from $8,000 to $13,000 per acre according to a 2023 study from Purdue Agricultural Economics. The majority of Indiana farmers entering the trade are first generation, meaning they lack the resources and knowledge of a multi-generational farmer. Moreover, small and midsized farmers feel the pressures of wearing all hats– they work the land, but they’re also responsible for packaging, transportation, marketing, and educating their customers. 

Community organizations like the Hoosier Young Farmer’s Coalition, Partners in Food and Farming (PIFF), and Indiana Grown have been working over the past decade and beyond to aid a new generation of farmers in growing their businesses.

Meanwhile, Farmers Markets at a local level have started to match the benefits of programs like SNAP, EBT, WIC, and Senior FMNP to make farmers markets more accessible to low-income communities. Funded through grants, donations, or market-led fundraising efforts, these markets offer incentives such as bonus dollars, market bucks, or produce coupons. Incentives vary by program, typically matching purchases dollar-for-dollar or in set increments, with daily benefit limits often set at $10 or $20. Fresh Bucks Indy, for example, doubles SNAP EBT amounts up to $20 per visit at participating Indianapolis Farmers Markets. 

While it takes a lot of work for Full Hand Farm to go to market she appreciates the effort her community is making. “It is a two way street,” said McKiernan-Allen. “The parking is bad, sports are happening, the weather might be bad, and I know it takes a Herculean effort for consumers to get there on Saturday morning.” 

Looking to the Future

Although some communities are early and enthusiastic adopters of these more diverse food systems, the farmers market seems to be ground zero for getting the average person interested in local ingredients.

Mike Hoopengarner of Red Bud Farm works with Indiana Grown to advocate for policies and funds that help Farmers Markets. He says his pitch with legislators and Farm Bureau generally begins with the spotlight on community. “Where else these days, do hundreds, if not thousands, of people in a community gather on a Saturday morning, have fellowship, get to know your local farmer, purchase whatever they grow, and then take it home and cook it?”

The unique accessibility of farmers markets also acts as an entry point to eating locally, not only showing communities where to find local meat and produce, but also how to prepare meals with it all year round. Developing the relationships between consumers and producers helps create alternative shopping patterns that can persist from season to season and year to year.

In More Than Corn, McKeirnan-Allen credits programs like Indiana Grown for supporting Indiana’s rich history of local agriculture. She sees Farmers Markets as one clear pillar of that history.

“Markets have been going on for thousands of years. Details may change but that act of people bringing goods to a central location at an agreed upon time to share or sell their wares is something that is deeply rooted.”