GUERNSEY -  The Guernsey farmers market is new and fresh as the flowers that Sarah Cowan is peddling each Thursday at the city park.

In 2015 the first farmers market was organized in Guernsey by Cowan and in the last few years, the weekly event seemed to dwindle. This year, with the help of Misty Thomas, the first market of the year is looking to be a huge success.

“I did it for five years straight, and Misty jumped aboard and she is doing a great job,” Cowan said. “It’s a lot of work. With 16 vendors, people definitely need to come on down.”

The hours have changed from past year, from Saturday afternoons to Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. The idea was to catch people before they left for the weekend and running a little later in the day was planned so people on their way home from work could stop in and perhaps pick up fresh vegetables and other sundries. 

Thomas, who grew up in Guernsey and is no stranger to having a garden and wanting to sell some vegetables, came on board this year with Cowan to help organize and promote the event. She has a degree in elementary education and has been a teacher in southeastern Wyoming for many years along with working on her husband’s family ranch.

“When Sarah Cowan and Bruce Heimbuck started the farmers market, we decided we’d help,” Thomas said. “We were a vendor for several years and so we’ve been here since the start of it. We sell produce and I’ve got like bath balm items and fudge.”

Those who have lived in the Guernsey area know that Thomas’ peanut butter fudge is legendary and unless you get to the market early, you will miss out as it is one of the hottest selling items at the event.

“This year we have 16 vendors and that is a record number,” Thomas said. “We are going every Thursday until Oct. 1. We also changed the hours and times and I thought that we should try every week rather than every two weeks because those of us that were doing produce every other week was too long because then we’d have stuff producing and going to waste.”

There is going to be an additional market held on Duck Daze, Aug. 22, assuming Duck Daze will be held due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are always able to take more vendors,” Thomas said. “It’s nice because we have unlimited space out here so we are not restricting the number. The Guernsey Economic Development Board are the ones who are sponsoring it and kind of overseeing it. The vendor fees go toward the advertising and it’s just $10 for the whole season which is really the cheapest one around. We’re trying to keep it that way and keep the cost low because we’re not doing it to make money, we’re doing it to get people out and about, and having fun and bringing their goods.”