Central Wyoming College has released a report on the “State of the Local Food Economy” for 2022, focused on Fremont, Hot Springs and Teton counties.
The document serves as the school’s “inaugural effort to quantify the value of local foods sold through third-party farmers’ markets” in CWC’s three-county service area, according to the report.
Those markets include local “third-party organized” farmers’ markets – like the Dubois Farmers’ Market, the Lander Local Farmers’ Market, the Lander Valley Farmers’ Market, the Riverton Saturday Farmers’ Market, the Riverton Wednesday Farmers’ Market, the Shoshoni Farmers’ Market, and the Wind River Farmers’ Market in Fort Washakie – as well as the Fremont Local Market year-round indoor retail storefront and two online platforms.
The only local market that was not surveyed was the Wind River Farmers’ Market at the 789 Smoke Shop south of Riverton, according to the report.
Virtual market
The report says CWC got involved with one of the online platforms, eatwyoming.com, in 2022.
Thirty-two farmers, ranchers, and food producers from Fremont, Hot Springs and Teton counties sell retail or wholesale through the virtual market, which is managed by the statewide Eat Wyoming Local Food Hub, according to the report.
“The local vendors represent 35 percent of the Eat Wyoming vendors statewide,” the report states.
The collaboration now features a cold storage site in Lander and five customer pickup locations in Fremont and Hot Springs counties, according to the report.
To see the full report, click here.