Santek made a $5,000 contribution to the project to ensure the last bit of needed funding was available.
The Bradley County Farmer’s Market North will be housed in the newly constructed open air structure. The project has been in the works now for about two years and the structure has been completed. The entire project cost $75,000, according to Bradley County Commission Chairman Louie Alford.
Alford said “not one penny of taxpayers’ money” was used.
He emphasized that the entire project has been funded through grants and in-kind donations.
Eddie Caylor, president of Santek Waste Services, said the company has been involved since the beginning of the project. Santek Environmental provided an in-kind donation for preparation work on the site.
Alford said this most recent contribution will be going mostly toward finishing touches on the site, such as landscaping.
Even before the inaugural use of the farmer’s market structure, Alford is already thinking of other ways it could benefit the community.
“I want this to be open to the public, not just during the farmer’s market,” Alford said.
The Farmer’s Market North will be located on Urbane Road in front of the recycling center. This location was chosen so the county could apply for a $40,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture rural grant.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site on Sept. 15. Other donors have included Downtown Designs, Hampton’s Backhoe Services, Lawson’s Tree Service, Richmond Surveying and a Healthy Community Initiative grant. A complete list of donors has not been released.
