LAWRENCE GAZETTE

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EDITOR

Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

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Dan Aubrey, Rich Fisher, Rebekah Schroeder

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worked for Fairless Steel and his mom taught music — also plans to use his past 25 years of various experience in the effort.

“I am an experienced marketing, advertising, and consultative sales executive with exceptional strategic, creative and sales presentation skills,” he states on his Linkedin page. “I have extensive knowledge of, and experience in media, public relations and business development garnered from varied positions in sales, marketing, and advertising.

That translates into ad sales for Calkins Media, former owner of the Bucks County and Burlington County Times, director of strategic planning and development for Oxford Communications; a marketing director for TV Guide/TVSM Inc; and others.

In addition to work with TV Guide, the 1986 College of New Jersey graduate says he was also involved with ads and sales for Rita’s Water Ice and Toll Brothers. He is also an administrator for Trenton Orbit, a local Facebook community news site.

Now focusing on the TFM, Kearney says, “I used to handle Bucks Country tourism, and I was aware of destination marketing. We’re not just selling produce but a social experience. We’re trying to leverage that.”

One of the ways is to remind the community that it is a “local legacy destination.”

To make the point, he says, “I hope to do what some call hokey, old-fashioned attraction, like guess how many blueberries are in the container and pumpkin painting.”

Yet to do so, he says he is using some new-fashioned approaches to attract patrons who stopped shopping there during COVID or started going to other fresh produce venues.

“We started or upped our social media,” Kearney says, adding that every Saturday they add something so “people get a taste of the market.”

Pressing his marketing skills, Kearney says, “It’s great opportunity for engagement. People want to be part of the brand. People say, ‘I used to come here 20 years ago. I am here again because my children saw it on social media.’” He says he has also introduced radio ads.

While there is no current hard statistical data, Kearney understands that the market needs to attract a variety of ages and populations to sustain its future.

He then provides a quick overview of offerings, including Polish and Amish stands with various meats and deli offerings, two vegetarian restaurants, a punkrock venue, and Haitian and Spanish merchants. “There is a lot diversity in our market,” he says.

But that is just the current starting point. And while Kearney says he has also started to provide more seating to accommodate those who need to rest, there are other challenges.

One is adding additional bathrooms. At this time, there is only one station.

But another more important one is maintaining and attracting a variety of quality vendors and developing relationships with those looking to incubate a business while keeping as low as $58 a day for a table.

“I’m trying to develop a culture of ‘we’re-all-in-this together.’ And what are you doing for your business?”

He also would like to provide a place to attract more women who “control 80 percent of U.S. decision spending,” he says.

Yet the market’s potential secret sauce for success isn’t that much of a secret. “We know we’re a farmers market first and foremost. It isn’t a corporation or an office. It is a place where people go to forget the rest of life.”

Trenton Farmers Market, 960 Spruce Street, Lawrence. Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. thetrentonfarmersmarket. com.