The Travelers Rest Farmers Market’s Farmer Fund finishes its third round of grants awarded through the Farmer Fund program. Starting in 2023, TRFM created the Farmer Fund as a way for the community to do their part in supporting the local food system. The program has established a perennial opportunity for farmers at the market to apply for accessible funding for projects on their farms.
A sum of $17,000 was raised throughout the year through fundraisers and donations. At the end of each year, a team of grantees rakes through applications and designates Capacity Building Grants to chosen applicants. The grant process in 2026 allowed for six farms to receive funding for various projects. The 2026 awardees were:
- Common Ground Farm
- Double Blessing Farm
- Farm Girl Deliveries
- True Freedom Farm
- Front Yard Foods
- Wet Knot Farms
The total funds given by the Farmer Fund in this round were $18,000.
This year, the funds extended their footprint by investing in a livestock farm. This was the first time that a non-produce farm was awarded a Capacity Building Grant. Farming spans many different sectors, well beyond produce. Double Blessing Farm is a local goat farm in Travelers Rest, SC that uses goat milk to create body-friendly soaps. The Capacity Building Grants allow for upstate SC farms of all kinds to apply for funding of new projects, tools, and systems that support the growth of the farm, focusing on quality processes and long-term sustainability.
The market’s website explains that the fund program was established to reduce the barriers associated with applying for national grants. By introducing a local initiative, it creates an opportunity for neighbors to directly support one another, reinforcing the market’s existing commitment to locality and community connection.
To learn more about the Farmer Fund, visit the market’s website.
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About Travelers Rest Farmers Market
Last year, Travelers Rest Farmers Market supported 42 farmers at the market on Saturdays. The USDA’s definition of a local farm stipulates that food doesn’t travel further than 400 miles from where it’s grown. The Travelers Rest Farmers Market shortens that distance by requiring all of its vendors to be from within fifty miles of the market. The average distance that food travels from its place of origin to the market is 26 miles.
The Travelers Rest Farmers Market is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Travelers Rest, SC. As the largest independent farmers market in the state, it welcomes an average of 85 vendors on a typical Saturday in the summer. Last year, the TRFM operated its seventeenth season of summer markets. It began with just six vendors at Sunrift Adventures in 2008.
Travelers Rest Farmers Market meets on second Saturdays in the winter from 12:00-3:00. TRFM returns to weekly markets on Saturdays from 8:30-12:00 starting April 25th.
Travelers Rest Farmers Market
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 608, Travelers Rest SC 29690
Travelersrestfarmersmarket.com
Instagram: @trfarmersmarket
Facebook: @travelersrestfarmersmarket
