BEEBE, Ark. (KATV) — Sunday marked the final day of the season at the Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market, a place that–for years–has done more than sell produce.
The market has given small businesses a stage and central Arkansas communities a chance to discover what’s grown and created close to home.
Small businesses are heavily reliant on community support, and Arkansas’ economy benefits from these local businesses, according to the Arkansas House of Representatives, which says 99.3% of all businesses in the state are small businesses. Their data also indicated that 47.1% of Arkansas workers are employed by small businesses.
Venues like the Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market allow these natural state economic drivers to grow their businesses.
“It’s a place in the middle of the city where people can come and gather. We gave markets here, we have a farmers market every Sunday, and then we also have vintage markets and other specialty markets as well,” says Rebekah Wills, a local vendor at the market.
Another vendor, Terah Meishalyn, adds, “We have ceramic artists, we have jewelry makers, artists that use a lot of different mediums, and then of course we have food vendors.”
Data from the American Independent Business Alliance shows that 67 cents of every dollar spent at a locally owned business goes back into the community, versus only 43 cents of the dollar that is reinvested if you shop at a chain retailer.
In addition to Little Rock, several Arkansas cities have actively encouraged their communities to support local businesses.
According to the Beebe Chamber of Commerce website, shopping local can actually create jobs, which is supported by a 2024 report from the National Federation of Independent Business.
For the vendors at Bernice Gardens, this is a chance for them to show what products and services they can provide to the community.
“With the economy today, a lot of small businesses are depending on these markets to get their name out there to show that they have really cool, unique, good-quality, hand-crafted items,” says Meishalyn.
Of course, Sunday was the last day for the market, but small businesses will be back, advertising their products and their services in March, as the market will be closed during January and February, according to Wills.
The Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market offers free parking and free admission to all of its visitors, and all of the proceeds go straight to the vendors.
