SSP Farmers Market wraps up
first year under new management

By Tim Spitzack | Editor | September 2026

When the St. Paul Farmers Market decided to end its satellite location in South St. Paul after more than two decades, a local nonprofit stepped forward this summer to ensure that residents would still have access to fresh locally grown fruits, vegetables and other food items. The market is now managed by SSP4ALL, a grassroots LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization that formed in 2024. It launched the rebooted market on July 1, keeping the same hours and location. It’s open 2-6 p.m. each Wednesday through September in the Wakota Federal Credit Union parking lot, 1151 Southview Blvd.

The group has had its share of challenges during the transition, including having to cancel one event due to extreme heat, attracting vendors, and the online Google listing that says the market is permanently closed. They’re working to fix that and have created their own Facebook page to promote the market.

The inability to find enough vendors was the main reason the St. Paul Farmers Market stopped operating the site. Market Director Jim Golden said a vibrant market should have 20-40 vendors, and last year the South St. Paul market had dwindled to just six. He attributed the drop to the small location that’s not highly visible. However, he said they always had a positive experience working with the City of South St. Paul and its residents and are open to exploring other locations in the future.

Deb Griffith, community affairs liaison for the City of South St. Paul, said the city is assisting SSP4ALL to help make the market a success. She has a long history with the market and remembered when Jack Gerten, then manager at the St. Paul Farmers Market, approached the city to host a market in South St. Paul, and that it was he who selected the Wakota Federal site. She said they learned in April of this year that the St. Paul Farmers Market chose not to return.

“It was sad news,” she said. “It’s important to have a market in town with fresh fruit and vegetables. I’m thankful to SSP4ALL for stepping up and being part of the program.”

When the growers learned the news, some were disappointed and contacted Amanda Kissner from Wakota Federal to see if they could continue selling produce from their parking lot. Kissner reached out to Griffith, who in turn approached SSP4ALL to see if they wanted to take on the market and serve as its fiscal agent. They happily agreed and began looking for ways to bring new energy to the market through live music, food trucks, arts and crafts booths, cooking classes and community-building activities. In August, the market also began offering the POP Club (Power of Produce), a program that gives a $3 token to children age 3-12 who participate in a simple activity. The token can be spent at the market on fresh fruits and vegetables. The program is sponsored by the South St. Paul Lions Club, and Audrey Gerten, a sophomore at South St. Paul Secondary, manages the activities.

As market manager, SSP4ALL is responsible for managing the finances, finding vendors, answering questions from the public and planning events.

“We were excited to step in and take over the role of market manager,” said SSP4ALL director Gusta Carr. “We know that South St. Paul needs this farmers market and a lot of the community really wanted to see it come back. We’re trying to make the market more of a community market…. We’re toying around with a bunch of different ideas now to make it more inclusive to the entire community.”

This summer, the market has remained small, with just four or five food vendors, but SSP4ALL continues to recruit more. Despite the small number of vendors, Carr said shoppers are still showing up.

“I hope people will continue to come,” he said. “If anyone knows a particular type of vendor, whether that’s a farmer, a crafter or artisan, we welcome them to reach out to join the market.”

For more information, contact farmersmarket@ssp4all.org, or contact Deb Griffith at deb.griffith@southstpaul.org or 651-554-3230.

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