Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Mathis.
Hi Sydney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started working for the City of Oxford about three years ago, and when I started, there was “technically” a farmers market on paper, but there was never actually a full-blown market to visit weekly like the times stated on our website. You might would catch 1-2 vendors out there occasionally, and on Fridays, you could almost bet Ms. Howard would be out there with her fried pies, but other than that, you wouldn’t find much out there. This is my first time working in government, and I didn’t realize the process it takes to make changes, but thankfully the City Manager, Bill Andrew, was on the same page as me, and we had the same vision to grow the farmers market into a real market people could visit every week. After meeting with the amazing Beth Ivey at City of Covington, who started a farmers market there, I picked her brain and got ideas how I could start this market up into something great. It took time and a lot of effort, but last year we were consistently having about 15-20 vendors each week to participate. And now this year, we have continued to grow. Our farmers market is on Thursdays, 3-6pm, to not compete with surrounding markets, so I’ve added seasonal markets that are on Saturdays and now, are always full to capacity. The first year I was here, I started about a month before the Oxford Winter Fest, which consisted of about 7 vendors. This year, we filled that event to capacity of over 5o vendors within three days. Our other seasonal markets include the Valentine’s Day Market; Earth Day Spring Fest, which we partner with a student run organization called Oxford Climate Reality Project; and Autumn Fest. Additionally, we have partnered with Oxford College of Emory University to bring out food trucks once a month, the first Thursday at 3-7pm, during the farmers market. This not only helps the market by bringing in a larger crowd, but it allows students to use their Dooley Dollars to eat from somewhere other than their dining hall, while also integrating them into their Oxford community. Our food truck nights at the market are a great way to shop local, enjoy a late lunch or dinner you wouldn’t typically find in Covington, and meet new people.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Unfortunately, it started out bumpy since I wasn’t able to immediately hit the ground running with the changes I wanted to make, but I will say that after I was allowed to set everything in motion, it has mostly been a smooth road. Of course, it has been difficult getting the word out about our market because for so many years, people either had no idea Oxford had a farmers market, or they knew it wasn’t consistent that they could rely on. That has been the trickiest part – to change the narrative. We aren’t super busy each week, which is frustrating, but I have to remind myself that it takes time, and where we are now from where we started is a huge jump. Another struggle with putting on this market and getting people to attend is that other than the college, there is nothing in Oxford. We don’t have a downtown, so we have no businesses or restaurants, so unless you’re driving through on the major highway, you’d have no reason to come to Oxford. So getting people here has been tough, too. My goal is that the farmers market will create a space for fellowship while supporting small, local businesses. I know how talented and skilled these vendors are, and on top of that, everyone is so kind and supportive of one another. I hope that many more people will be able to visit the Oxford Farmers Market to experience everything it has to give. And lets be honest, can you really pass up fresh veggies, bread, baked goods and homemade gifts?! Yeah, Amazon and Walmart are easy, but the quality is unmatched to what can be found at our market, and I’m still doing all I can to get more people to come out and see that for themselves.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently the Event Manager for the City of Oxford. I guess I’d be known as the lady planning all these events in Oxford! I can’t say that I’m more proud of one thing over another, but in general, I’m proud of the work I’ve put in to grow our events and to create the Oxford Farmers Market, and to establish a place where the community can come together. Like I said, there is nothing in Oxford. We have great trails and an amazing college, but there’s no downtown, so it was important for me to create that sense of community. Somewhere for people to gather and meet new people, where they can support their local artisans, bakers and farmers.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I grew up in Helen, Ga, and my mom was the Executive Director of the Helen Chamber for about 12 years, so I literally grew up watching and helping with all of these huge events. My first event experience was Oktoberfest, which happens to be the longest-running Oktoberfest in the country. And not only that, but I grew up in a tourist town filled with small businesses and community. I think all of that together is what has helped and guided me in my position now.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I try to stay professional as I’m the face of the City when I’m at the market, so there’s probably a lot people don’t know about me, but while a lot of people see me with my camera taking pictures, they might not realize that I used to be a professional sports photographer. It was my dream to photograph a Super Bowl, but with life’s twists and turns, I made it back to my roots with event planning.
Pricing:
- $5 to obtain a permit for the calendar year
- prices vary at each vendor’s booth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oxfordgeorgia.org/FarmersMarket.aspx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oxfordgafarmersmarket/
Image Credits
Personal Photo – Kristin Watkins
Event Photos – Sydney Mathis
