The Forsyth Farmers’ Market, South Georgia’s largest farmers market, recently hired Erika Davis, a native Spanish speaker, as the nonprofit’s Bilingual Community Outreach Specialist, underscoring the market’s commitment to expanding outreach initiatives within the local Latino community.

In her new role, Davis will provide culturally-appropriate translation, interpretation and support services for the Forsyth Farmers’ Market in an effort to increase Hispanic participation in the nonprofit’s community-focused, educational programming. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Davis earned a B.A. in Psychology from the Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo. Before joining the Forsyth Farmers’ Market, she served as an assistant property manager and housing compliance specialist in Maryland. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Erika to our team and appreciate her support to help us reach Spanish-speaking individuals across the greater Savannah area, expanding access to fresh, local food,” said Tina Saxe, Interim Executive Director of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market. “We are committed to ensuring that everyone in our community has access to healthy, affordable food and to supporting local farmers.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census, there are nearly 10,000 Hispanic or Latino-identifying people living in the city of Savannah, Ga. and 23,790 in Chatham County. The Forsyth Farmers’ Market aims to engage the Latino community at the weekly farmers’ market in Forsyth Park, through the mobile Farm Truck 912 or via educational programming.

In 2023, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market garnered more than 150 new Hispanic participants for its popular Food Farmacy, a free program that addresses health disparities and promotes wellness by using fresh produce as a form of medicine to help mitigate diet-related chronic illnesses. With the addition of a fluent Spanish speaker, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market hopes to make an even wider impact within the Latino community in 2024.