Shontel Babb’s small business was born from her personal quest to find a sweet potato pie she actually liked. The result was Aunt Tel’s Premium Sweet Potato Pie, which today offers pies made from scratch with the best local ingredients in North and South Carolina.
Shontel’s pies can be found at local grocery stores and restaurants — as well as the TD Saturday Market, an event that turns two blocks of Greenville, South Carolina’s Main Street into a bustling farmers market every Saturday from May through October. The market welcomes thousands each week and features more than 85 vendors offering the season’s freshest produce, specialty food items, crafts and more.
Shontel appreciates the diverse crowds that frequent the TD Saturday Market, including those new to town, visitors and regulars who attend each week. She also recognizes TD Bank’s now 22-year sponsorship of the market, which has grown to become one of the city’s most highly anticipated signature event series.
“Having TD as part of this market means that we’ve got a resource who’s behind us—an active community member in this who’s here for us," Shontel explained. "TD is so engrained in this Upstate community.”
And, as a TD Bank small business customer, Shontel also acknowledges TD’s focus on relationship-driven banking while crediting the bank for helping grow her business, adding that she’ll soon be calling on TD to help take Aunt Tel’s Premium Sweet Potato Pie to the next level.
“I bank with TD because of the folks there — they have been essential to the growth of my business,” Shontel said. “I’m going to get emotional talking about it. You don’t usually get emotional talking about your banking relationship but that’s how important and special it is to me.”
Fostering Community
Across the market, Jackson Wood stays busy selling gourmet mushrooms. After taking over Dark Spore Mushroom Company, Jackson now grows between 700 and 800 pounds of high-quality mushrooms each week and supplies them to local restaurants and grocers. In addition to improving brand visibility, Jackson credits the TD Saturday Market for helping build important connections with local chefs and other contacts.
In 2024, Jackson is one of three vendors who received a TD Bank Bucks grant for the market season. TD launched the program 10 years ago, inviting participating farmers and vendors of the TD Saturday Market to apply for funds to cover the cost of their annual booth fees, which cost several hundred dollars and can be a significant expense for a micro or small business. The program is a way for TD to support local small businesses who make the market possible each week.
“Our expenses to be out at the market are already a good bit, and we’re upgrading a lot of our equipment right now which is extremely expensive, so it’s a huge weight lifted off our shoulders,” said Jackson.
“I love that TD is supporting us. It shows that they really care about the community, and they want to see us thrive,” he added.
In 2022, TD Bank also launched a TD Tokens program that enables eligible shoppers of the market to use their EBT card to purchase fresh produce and other products. Shoppers who spend a minimum of $5 at the market receive $15 in “healthy bucks” from a state-funded program. TD Bank then adds $10 to that, giving shoppers a total of $25 of complimentary tokens to spend each week.
The TD Tokens program has been transformative for Greenville-native Susan Boylan, who’s been coming to the market since 2003 and benefits from the access to fresh meat, produce and specialty products.
“The TD Tokens make it possible for me to not have to worry about food," said Susan. "I also know I’m eating healthy and clean, and that means everything for my health.”
Susan is able to freeze some of the fresh produce she purchases from May through October to enjoy in the offseason, allowing her to prioritize healthy foods year-round.
“It stretches my food allowance to where I don’t have to worry," Susan explained. "I can get tomatoes and freeze them to have gallons to use during the winter for chili or stew. I can freeze fruit and use everything year-round. It changes everything as far as food security.”
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Layers of Impact
Chris Fincher, Regional Vice President in the Upstate of South Carolina for TD Bank, is proud of TD’s support of the market over the years. He acknowledges the market’s ability to serve diverse needs of community members while bringing people together including farmers, vendors and other small businesses.
“The TD Saturday Market makes a difference in big and small ways," Chris said. "Through our sponsorship, TD is able to play a part in supporting farmers and small businesses in the Upstate while including the whole community and promoting healthy eating. I really think it’s one of the highlights of the year here, and its impact on local residents runs deep.”
Further, TD's ongoing involvement in the market is reflective of the TD Ready Commitment, the bank's global citizenship platform that consists of four drivers of change — Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health — all represented by the TD Saturday Market.
Kristen Allen serves as the City of Greenville’s Special Events Coordinator for the market and works closely with TD Bank to activate its sponsorship. As one of the city’s signature event series, the TD Saturday Market complements additional local happenings such as a Friday evening music series that occurs on Main Street March through September.
“This market stands out as an opportunity to showcase Greenville’s vibrancy — all the people, the moving parts," Kristen said. "It’s a special thing to see every week. There’s always a story to be told, a milestone reached, or something positive to report back. The TD Saturday Market means a lot to a lot of people."