By Jane Schuchardt
Special to The Elgin Review
Community. That’s what Bethany Miller missed so much when the COVID-19 pandemic kept everyone at a distance.
So, in 2020 she bought the building at the corner of Elgin’s 2nd (Hwy. 14) & Maple Streets. A year later, together with friends Amber Scheer and Tricia Spieker, she opened a farmers market with dreams of one day offering an experience that was more than purchasing a product. “I want to create a sanctuary for people, a place to step away from life, slow down a little bit,” she said as we sat on chairs in front of the building with constant traffic whirring by on the state highway. (About the traffic, she said it’s a symbol of life in motion.)
Already the market, open every other Saturday 9:00 am – Noon, generally has a fancy lemonade stand, mouthwatering Mexican-style food prepared by Elgin’s David Osuna, and locally made or grown products and produce. The market draws five to seven vendors. “The door is always open (for vendors),” she said. “The requirements are homemade, bring your own table, and make it beautiful.”
Miller, originally from Norfolk and now a 21-year resident of Elgin after marrying Brandon Miller, said, “I always loved this building and didn’t want to see it torn down.” Recounting some of the structure’s history as she knows it, Miller said Blair Motors used it as a spot to park cars and that she thought it had been a gas station at one time.
Now, with a brand-new pad of cement under the canopy to the west side of the building, the next step is to complete the inside where she hopes to have a ‘certified kitchen’ by this fall where she will offer canning and food preservation classes. She also plans to build a greenhouse one day on the lot just to the north as a welcoming community retreat, a respite for people to “step away from life and slow down a little bit,” she said.
Miller called the realization of her dream a slow development explaining that “all my proceeds go back into the farmers market.” Her main product line is canned goods, especially jams.
Last year she picked in the cool of the morning and canned in the afternoons to make nearly 15 gallons of jams from wild plums, elderberries, and what she called a ‘Nebraska berry’ made from a locally sourced berry mixture. She uses hundreds of jars each year and welcomes returns from customers and donations.
Her second most popular sales item is sweet and smoky salsa. Coming in a strong third is pasta sauce. The produce for canning comes from her 25 x 40-foot backyard garden with an additional plot at a friend’s home.
“Canning is cost efficient if you grow your own produce,” she exclaimed. “You can live on pennies” and enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables all winter.
Miller credited Brandon’s grandma, Edna Wilkinson (deceased 2010), with her first canning lesson back in 2006. With help from Google searches, she learned more details and found her own rhythm.
Now, thanks to honed skills and a newly remodeled kitchen at home with a 16-foot-long island, she can have four processes going at once.
Miller calls the Elgin Farmers Market ‘The Well’ since it references the need to gather at the well for water, both in Biblical times and metaphorically today. She’s thinking about a new name that represents a slower-paced haven from the bustle of life that’s peaceful, fun, and welcoming.
“I just love spending time with people,” Miller said. “I want to create a hub to do my work and bring people together.” Her work expands well beyond the farmers market. She describes herself first and foremost as a homemaker focused on being a wife and mother to three girls and one boy ranging in ages from 11-17 years old.
She also owns a wellness company selling natural products for health care.
Check out the market on Saturday, July 25, take a minute to visit with the vendors and greet others from the community, then purchase some locally grown, garden-fresh vegetables; maybe some sourdough bread or starter; handcrafted items; eggs; local honey, and more.
Or most anytime, check out the rack outside the farmers’ market building that generally has canned goods and other items to purchase. See the price list on the sheet hanging above the rack. Use the QR code to pay via Venmo.
Running a successful farmers market in Elgin, one of what USDA estimates at 8,000 in the United States, requires recruiting vendors, coordinating schedules, promotion, and creating an inviting atmosphere.
The result for shoppers is the opportunity to buy fresh, seasonal food and for farmers to realize a higher share of the food dollar by selling directly.
Thank you, Bethany Miller, for making all that happen here. Sharing your passion for building community in Elgin and vicinity definitely is appreciated.
