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Most folks conclude she’s from Lake Wobegon, the fictional town in Minnesota characterized in Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” where “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and the children are above average.”

Indeed, she is strong and certainly way, way above average. But Islander Veronique McMillan, manager of the hugely popular Farmers Market at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, insists she’s from Minneapolis.

“Actually, I was born and raised in Rice Lake, Wisconsin,” she clarifies. “But my husband and I live in Minneapolis when we’re not wintering on Marco. And I wasn’t raised in the country either — but I always loved being with my friends who had farms. Milking cows, chasing chickens, petting horses, feeding pigs — it was so much fun.

“My mother always had a big garden,” she adds. “We’d be playing baseball in the yard and if you wanted a carrot, you’d just run to the garden, pull one up and wipe the dirt on your shirt. That first crunch — so fresh and delicious!”

Just about three years ago, while McMillan was having lunch with her friend, Rosemary Wick (a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal on N. Collier), she shared a wish with her regarding organizing a weekly market on Marco featuring “fresh everything.” McMillan found it ironic that the area’s abundance of fruit and produce was not more accessible — other than in a grocery store.

Bernadette La Paglia - Special to the Eagle

This year, the market announced a new feature open to all non-profits applicants on a weekly basis. One organization is selected per week and authorized to set up a booth at no charge for purposes of creating greater community awareness of its mission and programs. Last week the honor went to the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island for their annual Christmas sale of fresh balsam fir wreaths handmade in Maine. All proceeds go toward their scholarship fund for local teens. Seen here from left are members Debbie Weins, Joan Pidherny and Stevie Vann, Vice President and Fundraising Chair. “We decided with all this visibility we should also do a bake sale to increase our revenues,” Vann said. “We’re very grateful to the market!”

Then providence entered in …

The following Sunday, Wick would hear her new pastor, Fr. Kyle Bennett, express a similar wish: high on his to-do list was the establishment of a farmers market that would serve as an ongoing interface with local growers and vendors. Wick promptly shared the timely news with McMillan, informing her that she had taken the liberty of setting up an appointment for the three of them to meet the following week.

“There was just one catch. In a few days she left a message on my answering machine informing me that she wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting — and wished me good luck,” McMillan recalled. “I almost cancelled — but I’m so glad I didn’t. I decided to go ahead with the meeting and Fr. Kyle was great. Things just started to fall into place.”

With St. Mark’s stamp of approval and support, the civic-minded McMillan rolled up her shirtsleeves and by February 2006, the market was ready for launch. “Just by word of mouth it kept expanding. We didn’t really advertise at all. People kept coming,” McMillan said of the inaugural effort that ran weekly until the end of March. “We were ready to do it again the following season.”

Last year, although it continued to enjoy expanded participation from vendors as far north as Fort Myers and as far east as Miami, one problematic aspect threatened its continued existence on Marco: parking.

“It was all based on pedestrian safety. The city felt that the traffic created by the market’s popularity was endangering pedestrians,” McMillan said. “We went right to work to satisfy the permit requirements and we’re following it to a T,” she beamed, noting that in addition to the church parking lot, alternative parking is now provided on the Bluebird side in the grassy swales.

McMillan is quick to highlight the outstanding volunteers who contribute to the market’s sustained success, most of them members of the St. Mark’s family: Dale Lindquist who always at the ready with a welcome and free coffee; Canadians Ron and Willa Dick, retired police officers; and Jack Patterson, president of the local police foundation. “They help to assure that we’re in total compliance and everything runs smoothly,” McMillan said.

McMillan remains the go-to person for just about everything from registration to set- up. Recently, in an effort to streamline information and communication for the expanded enterprise (that runs Wednesday mornings from 7:30 – 11:30 through April 15, with the exception of Feb. 20 due to the St. Mark’s flea market), she designed a Web site that’s just made its debut at www.marcoislandfarmersmarket.com.

But perhaps the position McMillan takes greatest pride in is that of bookkeeper. “At the end of the day, all the profits are divided equally between the outreach programs at St. Mark’s and the needs of the less fortunate at the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee,” she said. “I’ve always loved doing something that helps people.”

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If you’d like to purchase a wreath or learn more about the Marco Kiwanis, visit kiwanisclubofmarcoisland.org, or call 239.825.0519. Chartered in July, 1993, the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island, holds meetings weekly on Thursday mornings, 7:30 a.m. - 8:30a.m. at Porky’s Last Stand, 701 Bald Eagle Drive.