A Farmers Market for Stonecrest: Setting a Cornerstone of Local Food
The story behind launch of the Stonecrest Fresh Farmers Market (SFFM) is both simple and sophisticated. I shared a post in the Stonecrest , Georgia Issues and News Facebook Group on October 16, 2021 about my company North America Food & Farm PBC Inc (NAF2) selling produce at the neighboring Lithonia Farmers Market and proposing that we should start one in Stonecrest. In response, Donald Bieler who is the Director of Marketing & Regional Specialty Leasing with The Mall at Stonecrest reached out to me offering to host a farmers market at the mall. That was the beginning of it all. Pretty basic indeed.
The background which is more advanced involves how I came to make the Facebook Group post and the confidence that led Mr. Bieler to make the offer of having SFFM happen on the mall’s property. Developing a food based local economy was a key part of my 2021 campaign platform for Stonecrest city council, which included the vision of a farmers market in the city. The post I made which connected me and Donald was an aspect of my social media campaign communications. So in a real sense, making the farmers market happen was a fulfillment of a campaign commitment even though I did not win a seat on city council. It’s an example of how collaboration between private businesses and citizens is another way to create public policy.
SFFM was launched with a pop-up soft opening event on Thursday December 23, 2021. The beginning was intentionally modest with a small group of vendors featuring hyper-locally grown produce from regional urban farmers Aluma Farm and my company NAF2’s production sites right in south DeKalb County. There were also specialty food purveyors Chef Daryl’s Foods and Tea Moss Gel. Also present were several organizations providing information and services to the community including Yvonne Rosegarden’s “I AM” Peace Station with hugs and hot ginger tea, Georgia Chapter of the National Women in Agriculture Association, and the SNAP-Ed program of University of Georgia — Athens.
It was evident from the many positive responses to the announcement of SFFM on social media and other news outlets (see an article in On Common Ground News) that there was a consumer demand for a farmers market in the area. Numerous residents from Stonecrest and other surrounding communities came out to experience the first day of the market. Beyond purchases of produce, I witnessed new connections being made between businesses and people as well as an increase in public awareness of what else the mall and city has to offer (e.g. the New Black Wall Street Marketplace). As I stated in the press release for SFFM, our intention is to be a new vibrant civic and commercial space within Stonecrest where a wide range of positive things become possible.
An additional pop-up event will be held in January 2022 before the market officially opens for business weekly on Sundays from 1:00pm-5:00pm in February. The goal of SFFM is to be open year round, which is unusual for farmers markets. There will also be other attractions offered like cooking demonstrations by local culinary leaders such as Stone Mountain’s Chef Ron Jenkins of Afri Gourmet LLC on how to prepare the fresh food items which may not be familiar to most, political education and voter registration by groups like the Stonecrest Citizens Coalition, and entertainment from local musicians such as Brooke Alford. The activities of the market are managed by my wife Taunia Nkromo-Stevenson and her firm Sass-A-Frass Events Company while it will be my job to make sure there’s lots of delicious and nutritious food available from farmers across the region. Contact us at 404.721.3992 or info@NAF2PBC.farm for details on becoming a vendor or other inquiries. Most of all, come see us at the Stonecrest Fresh Farmers Market in 2022!
Kwabena “Cubby” Nkromo was a 2021 candidate for the District 1 City Council seat in Stonecrest GA (campaign website HERE) and is the Founder of Stonecrest Sustainable Enterprises (SSE), the holding company brand for North America Food & Farm PBC Inc which manages Stonecrest Fresh Farmers Market.
