Transit Middle students keep up with 'Farmer's News'
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

"Farmer's News" publisher Chris Cooper, right, along with classmate Matthew Eichhorn are looking to expand their newsletter with ads and pictures for next year.

If you've been to the Farmer's Market at the Williamsville Mill this summer, you may have seen Chris Cooper roaming about taking notes.

The Transit Middle fifth-grader is the publisher of "Farmer's News," a newsletter about the farmer's market. Along with classmate and friend Matthew Eichhorn, Chris has put together a newsletter chronicling the market's weekly happenings and vendors.

To write their articles, the two interview attendees to the market as well as vendors and musicians and participate in all of the activities available.

They also document the Saturday happenings with photos.

The newsletters are distributed during the market's operating hours of 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays.

"I thought about publishing articles for the market after reading The Bee," Cooper, who is the son of market co-coordinator Ellie Grenauer, said.

According to Grenauer, the boys distribute between 100 and 150 newsletters each week. Chris has even begun to sell ads in the newsletter to businesses around the Village.

"They've made quite a name for themselves," Grenauer said. "Chris always thought he'd be famous so this is a step in the right direction."

"Last week, a 5-year-old asked me for my autograph," Chris added.

While the newsletter is a collaborative effort, both Grenauer and Matthew's mother Jody noted the journalistic stylings of the two is very different.

"Matthew is more detailed, more like a news reporter," said Grenauer. "Chris is a little freer with his style.

As far as favorite booths at the market go, the boys' tastes are as different as their writing style.

Matthew noted his aspirations of culinary school lead him more towards the vegetables, while Chris' favorites include the herb growers and the cookies at the Great Harvest Bread Company.

As the newsletter continues to grow, Chris is looking towards next year's market and what to do during the school year to keep his writing skills up.

"I might do a newsletter for school," he said. He also noted that he hopes that next year's farmer's market newsletter will be anywhere from five to eight pages long with more photos and ads.

"We're going to need more writers," he added.

For more information about the newsletter, e-mail Chris at farmersnewschris@verizon.net.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com