WayGreen: growing a healthier community

Pictured from left to right: Roger and April Westover, Connie Oliver (president of WayGreen and the heart and soul of the organization), Debby and Andy Thigpen. All are actively involved WayGreen volunteers and participants in the interview from which this article is derived!

WayGreen: growing a healthier community

by LeeAnna Tatum

What started out as a homesteading guild for a group of individuals in the Waycross area has grown into a nonprofit organization making a regional impact promoting local food systems and access to fresh foods. Recently named as Georgia Organics’ newest food hub by Georgia Food Oasis, WayGreen is earning its reputation as a catalyst for the local, sustainable food movement.

The grassroots movement that is taking place in Waycross, Ware County and the broader region of South Georgia is something that is not only remarkable on its own, but also something that could provide a blueprint for other rural communities in Georgia to follow.

WayGreen is more than simply an organization. It is a group of like-minded individuals who are not only passionate about promoting local food but deeply dedicated to the betterment of their entire community. A group of farmers, consumers and producers; they’re all striving for the same result - a healthier food system within the local community that is accessible to all.

Connie Oliver heads up this tribe, as they refer to themselves. I met Connie early on as I was getting Southern Soil off the ground and she was one of the first people who really got what it was I was trying to achieve. She and WayGreen have been advertisers and cheerleaders and supporters of the magazine since the beginning.

And that’s what they’re all about. Building. Encouraging. Educating. Promoting. Providing. Giving. Growing. Whether it’s at their market, or one of the cooking demonstrations, or a workshop, or just sitting around a table talking about food; this is a group of people that exude generosity and a spirit of community.

WayGreen first began its transition from a homesteading guild into something more community-minded by creating a local fare market.

“We started as a homestead guild because we had people who wanted to get back to living the sort of the way we did a hundred years ago. So we began it as that,” Connie explained. “But it became apparent we had farmers who were trying to grow food and they needed an outlet for that food … we knew all along we wanted to do a farmers market but we also knew we had only three farmers at that time.”

Knowing that three vendors would not be enough of a draw to make a successful market, they set about creating a local fare market instead of strictly a farmers market. This opened up the vendor options to other producers and artisans.

“That was the model that we followed. That’s really what I think our success is,” Connie said. “I think if we had just started with three farmers, we would have never seen that success.”

Another key to WayGreen’s successful growth of the market was creating a welcoming community atmosphere. The local market wasn’t just a place to shop, it became a place to belong.

“The other success I think is because the local fare market caused a sense of community and a sense of place,” Connie described. “We watched people stop and talk … there’s nowhere to do that in a town anymore … so it became a sense of place and community.”

“We hear from vendors at the market all the time who say, ‘Wow, I’ve been to other markets and never felt this much at home.’, added Debby Thigpen, WayGreen volunteer and market organizer. “And it has to do with this tribe mentality that we’ve cultivated. We really are in this all together and we have this passion and we know they have this passion. That, to me, is one of our successes - when people are happy to come to market.”

In two years, the market grew to about 35 vendors with up to 750 potential shoppers coming through the gates. At this time, they are operating once a month on a seasonal basis at their location at the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

The market is restricted to vendors located within a 100 mile radius and vendors must be growers, producers and/or makers of the products they are selling. Though the core group is dedicated to sustainable, organic, and beyond organic growing methods; those are not specific requirements for the vendors. The greater emphasis is on supporting local foods for local people grown by local farmers.

“Our name, WayGreen, represents that we are seeking a greener lifestyle,” Connie explained, “ … that’s our personal stance. We know that’s the better food, but local is still better than having it shipped in. That’s why we encourage sustainable, non-toxic growing, but only require that it be local.”

Through the market, WayGreen has developed strong relationships with the farmers who take the time to travel to the market and make their products available to the people of Waycross. This is an important aspect of the market’s success and that of the vendors.

Another key to success at the market has been the contribution of Chef Andy who brings to the table his love of fresh food and cooking. By cooking up samples that are given out to market attendees, Andy is able to help make fresh produce more appealing and perhaps less intimidating to shoppers.

“When I first got involved … we have all these farmers who grow such beautiful, wonderful produce, and I like to cook. So, I asked if there was anyone making samples,” Andy Thigpen explained. “To me it seems like a no-brainer. If you have samples, especially of things that people aren’t used to seeing, then they will sell better.”

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“I really enjoy doing what we call the Pop Up Chef there (at the market),” he continued. “And one of the things about cooking fresh vegetables, a lot of people don’t know how to get them on the table quickly. I’m out there with either a camp stove or two-burner electric top. And I tell people, ‘if I can do this here and get it ready to eat in 15 minutes, you can do it at home’.”

WayGreen is dedicated to helping area farmers succeed, in part by providing them with an outlet for their produce. For some farmers, like Roger Westover, the WayGreen local fare market provided their first opportunity to sell to the public.

WayGreen members with Alice Rolls, President and CEO of Georgia Organics at the 2019 Georgia Organics Conference.

Roger and his wife April had joined WayGreen when it was a homestead guild because they were interested in that type of lifestyle and wanted to connect with like-minded individuals. As Roger began to grow food, the market provided him with a potential customer base.

“I’ve had a pull to grow for a long time,” Roger described, “but I didn’t want to grow the way I grew up growing (with conventional methods) … I’m from Indiana… I knew I wanted to grow, but not like that.

Roger produces micro-greens and other vegetables on his small farm, Greenway Garden, using intensive planting and other growing methods he refers to as “beyond organic”. Through WayGreen, he has been able to sell directly to the public and was also able to connect with restaurants that purchase his produce.

Building connections, relationships and partnerships with other individuals and organizations has been a key to WayGreen’s success. From partnerships with the local schools and library to collaboration with other nonprofits in Georgia, WayGreen has been able to have an impact on their community beyond the market.

Andy’s cooking at the market led to an opportunity to do regular cooking demonstrations at the local library, introducing a whole new clientele to the value of fresh produce. The demonstrations are an opportunity to educate about the nutritional value of certain foods and to demystify the cooking process.

In addition to the demo, participants are also given some of the produce which was cooked to be able to take it home and prepare it for themselves. This goes to the heart of WayGreen’s mission to help ensure that healthy food options are available to everyone.

“In November, we’ll be starting a new market at the library called the Parkit Market, located in the parking lot (of the Waycross Ware County Public Library). Bringing the same produce we have at our other market to a new location,” Connie said. “That’s one of the things that we’re passionate about. That the good product we’re providing gets to all the people … we want everybody to be able to get these products that have been given such focus and such care.”

Waycross, like many towns in rural Georgia, has population groups that lack access to fresh, local produce even when it may be being grown all around. This was one of the issues that first compelled Connie and the others to begin the important work of establishing a market so farmers could sell their local produce to local consumers.

“People largely think that food justice and not having access to fresh food is a big urban and inner-city problem, and it is,” Andy said, “but when our Harvey’s over here closed down, we had a significant portion of people who had no easy access to fresh vegetables. But they’re close enough that this market will help give them access to it. Healthy eating should not be restricted to people with means.”

2,000 pounds of carrots gleaned and donated to WayGreen to be given away to the Waycross community.

WayGreen views education as a key factor in improving the local food system and they are active in the community teaching about nutrition, food preparation and growing food. In addition to the cooking demos, they have held workshops on gardening, and given talks at local schools.

As previously mentioned, one of the keys to the success that WayGreen has had over the years is that it’s president Connie Oliver and the core members of the organization are all about cooperation and collaboration, not competition.

They have developed strong partnerships with organizations like Southeast Health District, Ware Children’s Initiative, Slow Food South Georgia and the Okefenokee Heritage Center that have helped them connect with the community around them and join forces for common goals.

They have also partnered with the Society of St. Andrews to become part of their gleaning network in South Georgia. Through this partnership WayGreen members learned about the process of gleaning and how to connect with area farmers in order to salvage produce that otherwise would be turned under or left to rot in the field.

This provides them with yet another avenue of bringing local food into the community. One of their first cooking demos involved carrots, over 2,000 pounds of which had been recovered through gleaning. The gleaned produce cannot be sold and must be given away.

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Moving forward, WayGreen hopes to continue to grow its presence in the community. They are working to attract more farmers and producers to join their market. They are also looking at ways of making the market more convenient for the vendors with greater accessibility to local consumers as well.

They are looking forward to seeing where their new partnership with Georgia Organics through the Georgia Food Oasis program will take them as they continue to move forward to a healthier, more sustainable food system for their community in South Georgia.