Agriculture is more than just farming; it is a community, a business, and a way of life. The Ag Avenue Market provided a space where all three of these came together, connecting vendors with the community in a meaningful way. There were over twenty vendors present, and those vendors included; Farm Girl Fizz, 115 Brew, May 14. Bloom Co, Wild AF Pearls, Branded B Co, Old Frontier Finds, Midwest Jewelry Co & Willow Wood Western, Lee Haven, Sage Creations, Simply You Collective, Turquoise Tavern, Red Horse Leather LLC, Mabry’s Boutique and Permanent Jewelry, Buffalo Springs Boutique, Iron and Hide LLC, Windy Hill Farms, Rural Provisions, Three Roots Western Boutique, KP’S Prime BBQ Sauce, Bruno’s Pizza, Rosie’s Creamery, The Walking A, and finally Ringside Boutique. These vendors came together with one goal: to educate, celebrate, and fellowship. As FFA members Lily Yax, Lexi Gotshall, Maddy Willis, Lilly Hammond, and Josie Johnson all chose to attend this event to celebrate the ag industry they are proud to represent.
Bailey Blacker, small business owner and founder of The Ag Avenue Market, was asked how successful the event was and said, “We had exactly 25 vendors, ranging from clothes to jewelry, to antiques, soap, candles, leatherwork, ice cream, dirty soda, and more!” She was also asked what inspired her to put this event together and answered, “ I currently own a boutique, Branded B Co. I love having opportunities to showcase my boutique to like-minded women in ag, and there aren’t a vast majority of events like that! So I decided to start my own to be able to set up my boutique and create opportunities for other local vendors!” She was also asked what the main goal of this event was, and said, “The main goal was to create a shopping experience catered to local Women in Ag! It was made to create a fun shopping experience where women in ag could bring their friends and enjoy shopping small and local and finding items that fit what they love!”
This event was open to anyone interested in attending. Lilly Hammond, a junior at Lewis Cass and has no agriculture background was asked how this event helped her learn about the agriculture industry and said, “ The event helped me learn more about the industry as a whole because it helped engulf me into the world of agriculture from a pop culture and fashion perspective” This event allowed individuals to learn about all fields of agriculture from candle making to ice cream eating, all thanks to the agriculture industry. Lilly was also asked about her favorite part of the market and said, “I think my favorite part was seeing all of the different booths and meeting some incredible small business owners. I found it fascinating to see all of the different booths and the hard work I know went into the event.”
Lily Yax, a senior and outgoing FFA president, also attended this event, and she plans to continue her career in the agriculture industry while studying at Oklahoma University was asked what the experience was like and said, “I attended the ag avenue event with my friend Josie, and we had a blast. We got to shop and meet new people. There was a drink vendor, so we got drinks, and then we got to walk around and see different jewelry and clothes. Overall, it was a really well put together event and I’m looking forward to attending in the future.”
One of the biggest stereotypes the agriculture industry gets is that it consists of only farmers. However, this is far from the truth; agriculture is everywhere. The industry feeds, clothes, and entertains everyone in ways they do not even realize. From cotton farmers to beekeepers, their purpose in life is to serve their community, and they execute this with great pride. At this event, attendees were allowed to watch it all come to fruition.
All in all, the Ag Avenue Market provided insight into the many different parts of agriculture, allowing the community to become better educated on an industry that needs more support than ever. This event provided an experience that individuals could only get there, and it was truly like no other. The FFA motto, “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve,” sums up the main purpose of what it is like to have even the smallest part in the agriculture industry. A day of celebration, tradition, and fellowship was had, and it was all thanks to the very people who serve our industry wholeheartedly.
