Megan Marshall, director of programs and strategic impact at Project Rose, briefed the council on the Waynesboro Farmers Market and its role in food access and downtown economic activity.

Marshall said Project Rose took over market management in 2015 after receiving a USDA Community Food Projects grant and described rapid growth: "annual sales have grown more than 950%," the market has benefited "more than 200 small farms and food businesses," and Project Rose has secured "more than a quarter million dollars in additional grant funding" to invest in Constitution Park. She said the market runs five food assistance programs and maintains SNAP certification and a Virginia Fresh Match program that doubles benefits for fresh produce.

Marshall told council the market draws roughly 600 customers each Saturday and that approximately 10% of market sales are from customers using SNAP benefits; she also said the market supports more than 3,200 Waynesboro residents who rely on SNAP (she characterized that 3,200 figure as drawn from a prior-year assessment and said it may not reflect recent cuts). She framed the market as a "triple win" for public health, economic development and community vitality and asked council to look for a community service agency funding request to help sustain food-access programming.

Councilmembers asked follow-up questions about the currency of the 3,200 SNAP figure; Marshall confirmed the data came from a previous year and does not account for current fiscal-year cuts. She also confirmed the market’s role in generating downtown foot traffic and vendor income: she said 76% of shoppers "always or sometimes" visit other downtown businesses on market days and estimated that activity can translate to approximately $175,000 in additional economic activity for adjacent businesses during the market season.

Next steps: Project Rose said it has submitted a community service agency funding request; council members were asked to "keep an eye out" for the application and consider support if appropriate.