GATHER & GROW: From local market to coastal cornerstone
Editor's Note: This column marks the first installment of a new series in the Market Bulletin celebrating the success stories of Georgia's local farmers markets. Our goal is to showcase the innovative ways these markets connect producers with their communities and help our state's farmers find new, effective paths to market.
By Sagdrina Brown Jalal, GDA Farmers Market Coordinator
If you've ever spent a Saturday morning beneath Forsyth Park's oaks, you know Savannah's unique rhythm - hum with conversation, music, and the aroma of something good cooking. Each time I return, I wander through the Forsyth Farmers' Market, quietly joining locals and soaking in the familiar blend of coffee, collard greens, and community.
For me, that market isn't just a place - it's a feeling. It's a reminder of who we are when we gather with purpose and love.
A Vision Rooted in Care
In 2009, six Savannah women came together around a shared vision. They believed everyone—regardless of income or neighborhood—deserves access to healthy, local food. Out of that belief, the Forysth Farmers’ Market (FFM) was born. Their goal wasn’t just to sell produce; it was to grow community.
From the beginning, they worked to make the market welcoming and inclusive. What began as a volunteer effort has grown into a cornerstone of Savannah’s food system. It is a place where farmers, families, and food advocates meet each week to nourish not only bodies, but relationships.
Innovation That Feeds a Movement
What makes FFM's story compelling is that its innovation always grew from compassion. Early on, the market introduced a token system. This allowed shoppers to use SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps) to purchase local food, increasing access to healthy, local produce for community members with limited resources. It might sound commonplace now, but at the time, it was groundbreaking.
Through a partnership with Wholesome Wave Georgia, FFM doubled the value of those SNAP dollars. It literally multiplied the power of care. Year after year, Forsyth Farmers' Market ranks among the top markets in the state for SNAP sales. This isn't just about volume, but about people trusting the space.
Trust is what allowed Forsyth Farmers Market to launch programs like 912 Food Farmacy, connecting food to healthcare with produce prescriptions for those with diet-related illnesses. Trust also brings families back to the Youth Booth, where children sample local recipes and spend $5 tokens with real farmers.
These efforts don’t just increase access; they rebuild a sense of belonging.
The Power of Showing Up
Every Saturday, rain, shine, or Savannah humidity — the Forsyth Farmers’ Market sets up in Forsyth Park. That reliability has become a kind of covenant between the market and the city.
For vendors, it means stability. They can plan their planting, forecast their sales, and invest back into their farms. For shoppers, it means fresh, local food is a promise kept every week.
That constancy reminds me of my own childhood here, when food was never just about eating — it was about showing up for one another. My grandmother would say, “If you care for people, you feed them.” In the market, among familiar and new faces, I see that wisdom rooted in my hometown.
Faces of Commitment
The market’s heartbeat comes from people who give more than their time. There’s Chris Underwood, a local food writer and long-time volunteer. He has spent more than four years assisting at the Information Tent. Rain or shine, he’s there — often before most of us have had our first cup of coffee. Navigating the market in his wheelchair doesn’t slow him down. If anything, it amplifies his joy.
And then there’s Kristen Russell, one of the market’s original founders and now its board chair. She also owns The Sentient Bean, a coffee shop that’s as much a community hub as it is a cafe. Kristen’s steady leadership reflects the same values the market was built on: service, consistency, and connection.
Growing the Next Harvest
What began with six women and a shared dream has blossomed into a professional nonprofit organization. Now, FFM is expanding beyond Forsyth Park, mentoring and supporting emerging markets across Coastal Georgia. The goal is simple but profound: to create a network of markets, each reflecting its own community character while remaining rooted in shared purpose.
That’s how regional resilience grows — not from competition, but from collaboration.
Coming Home to Care
Each time I return to Savannah, I find myself drawn back to the market like a magnet. I’ll stop by a familiar stall, sample a tomato so sweet it tastes like sunshine, or watch a young family teaching their child how to pick produce. And in that moment, I’m reminded that care, when cultivated intentionally, never fades.
Markets like Forysth aren’t just about food — they’re about faith. Faith that when we gather around shared values, we can nourish something lasting: trust, connection, and community.
Savannah taught me that care is a kind of currency. The Forsyth Farmers’ Market proves it every single week.
So, the next time you find yourself in this city on a Saturday morning, come walk beneath those oaks. You’ll find good food, good people, and a living example of what it means to grow something from the ground up.
Shoppers and vendors connect at the Forsyth Farmers' Market, a cornerstone of Savannah's food system that has pioneered local food sense of belonging. access since 2009. (Special Photo)
