Farmer’s Market a boon for local vendors

CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - After an early evening shower rolled through on Tuesday night, a lot of locals came out to the final Summer Market and Farmer’s Market of the season at the David Street Station. And no one was more happy about that... than the vendors!

One of the vendors selling items was Ryan Williams, perhaps better known as the PepperKing. He explains how his company got started. “So I started out making super-hot-pepper infused salts. The reason I started making those is because I started growing super hot peppers, and I’m the only one in my family who eats them. So I had to get a way to use them, year-round, from the stuff that I grow, right. So I infused them into salts. It took off from there. Started selling it at farmer’s markets.”

Williams says he’s taken his salts, salsas, and sauces to Rock Springs, Gillette, and Cheyenne. “It started off as just a side gig for me. It kind of just brought in a little bit of money. And it’s grown quite a bit since then. So it’s kind of a replacement for what I was doing before, so...”

Entrepreneur Matt Egging was there selling his Manchester Street Coffee. Echoing Williams’ sentiments, Egging explains how important the fairs and farmer’s markets really are. “On average, probably two a week. But some weeks... If the rain stays away... It just rained here earlier... But if the rain stays away, I’ll go to, like, four farmer’s markets a week. So if you find me at my shop (during the summer), I’m usually roasting and bagging to take it on the road. It’s probably... 50% of my sales... are at markets.”

For Egging, having his daughter by his side, makes this a family venture. “She helps me measure out the green beans... she’ll help me set up the merch table over here... she’s pretty good at selling coffee when I’m not able to do it myself, too. She’s a little entrepreneur for sure.”

For more information on upcoming events, you can check out the Wyoming Community Development Authority’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wyomingcda

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