SOUTH BOUND BROOK - The typical farmers market is based on profit, with farmers receiving a percentage of sales from vendors. At the South Bound Brook Farmers Market on Main Street though, selling produce is managed each week by a different community group, which gets to keep the profits they make.
The farmers market, which began in June and is overseen by South Bound Brook councilwoman Beth Konkle, is the only one of its kind in the state with this model, she said. When Konkle was elected earlier this year, she said there was no local supermarket, which meant residents had to drive to Bound Brook or Franklin for their produce.
As part of the “Building Bridges for Better Health” initiative, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gave a $200,000 grant to foster a culture of health in Bound Brook and South Bound Brook. In collaboration with the Perkins Partnership, Konkle was able to get in touch with a local farmer to start the farmers market.