The Durango Farmers Market has a new manager, and Anna Knowles is ready to expand the community enterprise this year.
Newly transplanted to Durango from Destin, Florida, Knowles began going to the farmers market for fresh produce and noticed the organization was hiring for a manager.
After working as a schoolteacher for a decade in Florida, Knowles and her husband started a food truck business with Knowles as the chef. She has a background in catering, event coordination and marketing. The food truck was a success, but the arrival of their son had the couple rethinking their business plans in the Sunshine State.
“Our goal with the food truck was to source locally and really bring in a better economy for the Destin area and support the local small businesses there,” she said. “We did very, very well with it. After I gave birth to my son, we just realized that operating a food truck with a baby is not really feasible.”
Already having childhood ties to Colorado, Knowles and her husband decided to head west and settle in Durango to raise their family.
“My passion is really food and local community and culture, and the culture out here in Durango is really what I was searching for in Destin,” she said. “People genuinely care out here about the small business and about the farmer and about what they eat.”
Knowles found the new managing job to be an ideal fit with being a new mother.
“The farmers market is just perfect, because I still get to stay at home with Jackson but also have a hand in something that truly inspires me,” she said. “I believe the reason why they chose me above the other candidates is because I have an extensive background in marketing and event coordination.”
One of Knowles’ first tasks was to find a way for customers to have a place to relax and hang out for a bit.
“The goal with the farmers market right now is that it has to continue to grow,” she said. “And so this year we are getting a dining area. We have got three picnic tables that are coming in. People just didn't really have a good place to sit. There was a lot of congregating in the aisles, which made it a little bit harder for shoppers. We're going to designate an area for people to get their food, get their coffee, sit down and enjoy the band and not feel obligated to rush in and rush out.”
Knowles also has goals to make the farmers market more family-friendly.
“We do know that there are a lot of young families here in Durango that care about what they eat,” she said. “Kids are always a little bored, and that pushes the parents to shop quickly and get in and out, so I am trying to work to get a kids’ craft tent and looking for businesses to be the weekly sponsor of it.”
Knowles plans to continue adding features to the farmers market to attract customers and make the overall shopping experience an enjoyable one for everyone.
“I am just really looking forward to it,” she said. “There's a lot of changes happening that are all still in line with the market’s mission. The more people we get to the market, the more shoppers the farmers have.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
