For the second year in a row the Tuesday market on Whetstone Pathway is really disappointing. Two small farms – both selling identical vegetables. No seasonal fruit being sold. A woman selling baked goods; a flower vendor and that’s pretty much it. No variety – very little reason to go there. The biggest draw – with the only lines of customers -was the Thai food truck.I don’t know what’s going on with this market. When it was located on Main Street mext to the Senior Center there were lots of farms offering not only veggies and herbs but berries, melons, peaches; apples in the fall. Plus flowers and baked goods and a couple of places to get lunch.
I don’t know if it has to do with the co -op being steps away or if it’s just not profitable enough for farms to participate but it’s vastly different from what it was a couple of years ago. I will not be going back again. I’ll go to the Saturday market where there’s some variety and tons of gorgeous seasonal fruit. I honestly can’t imagine that the vendors that are at this Tuesday market even cover their expenses. It’s too bad. It used to be worth the trip downtown.
I so miss it being by the
I so miss it being by the Senior Center, it was convenient,(for me and my co-workers) and also cool and shady. We would all run over and shop there, it has been a loss to have it move to the Co-op, for us anyway, and there was probably about a dozen of us that would go over.
It was a great spot for it
It was a great spot for it and a wonderful lunch spot for many people. Benches and shade and a bounty of beautiful local produce. All of the vendors seemed to do a great business when it was on Main Street. I miss it.
Shade
Maybe vendors don’t want to stand in a hot parking lot every week and watch their customers go into the Co-op. : )
If I were selling lettuce, I’d prefer the shade.
I guess the question is: is it impossible to movie back to the better spot? Is there something preventing it form being there?
Downtown....
Years ago, the Wednesday Farmer’s Market used to be held on the Common. There was even a late Saturday market after the Western Ave site closed for the day; farmers with left over produce would go to the Common to sell the remainder at discount.
I didn't know that. That is
I didn’t know that. That is also a much better spot than a parking lot. The Saturday ” leftovers” market sounds awesome!
For the most part the 2 farm
For the most part the 2 farm stands are covered. I immediately went into the co- op and bought blueberries and plums. I would much rather have given that $18 to a farmer. I’m not sure why they think the Whetstone path is a better site. Much more foot traffic on Main Street and a much prettier, cooler space for vendors and customers.
Whetstone vs Main St
Chris’ question as to why the change was made is a good one. There were certainly more vendors at the Main St site, and it was convenient for people who walk, and it was shady.
I always like being by the brook, and for people who drive, having a parking lot close by is a plus. Also, there space is wider. There must be some reason why only a couple farmers take part. Tuesday is a CSA pick up day for some, perhaps this prevents them from going to market on a Tuesday and something to be considered next year.
But kalden, look closer at the flower vendor. They normally have really good berries, as well as maple syrup and other maple products.
There were no berries or any
There were no berries or any type of seasonal fruit at yesterday’s market. Last year there wasn’t a single vendor who offered any fruit of any kind.
There is really not anything pleasant about the co-op parking lot site. It’s sunny with no place to sit if you want some shade. I saw lots of people parking their cars and walking right by the market vendors to go into the co-op. I bet if you asked any of the vendors who also participated in the weekday market when it was next to the Senior Center they would say they made more profit in that space. There is no shortage of places to get leafy greens or zucchini. There needs to be more variety if this weekday market is going to be something worth making the trip for.
location
I used to have the habit of scheduling a trip to the bank, post office, and/or library to coincide with the midweek market near Gibson Aiken. Those are my sort-of midday type of errands, and the market fit in well to that loop.
For me, a visit to the Co-op is (more often than not) in the evening. And if there is no reason to go to the Co-op, the market itself isn’t enough of a draw to get me down that way during the day.
The River Garden has always been a good winter spot.
Am I correct that these are three different organizations/markets, or is it all under one big umbrella? Who is in charge?
I did exactly the same thing,
I did exactly the same thing, Chris. Post office, bank, library, farmer’s market. I’d meet a friend at the market for lunch once or twice a month. It was an efficient and pleasant “errand day” if you will. I’m not sure exactly who is in charge of the summer markets. Post Oil Solutions runs the winter indoor market and they do a great job. Someone needs to reevaluate the mid week market and think about other sites and how to make it more appealing/profitable for farmers to sell at. I generally go to the co-op for bulk foods and spices or organic chicken broth if they are having a good sale. No reason to go there every week and this sad little market doesn’t change that.
perhaps some digging and advocacy?
Maybe someone would be willing to call the Farmer’s Market and find out what’s up with the midweek market, then report back? And perhaps then we all could call and email them our suggestions and wants?
Tuesday market
I’m very sorry to hear that so many of you are disappointed by the Tuesday market. I’m afraid it’s a Catch 22: The fewer customers who shop there, the fewer vendors who can afford to participate. The fewer vendors, the less likely people are to shop there.
I’m hearing a lot of frustration in these posts about our current venue. Finding the right location has been tricky! Years ago, we had to move away from the Senior Center because of some construction work at the site. At that point, we moved to the Whetstone pathway near the old co-op. That was a great location for us, but we had to move once construction on the new co-op began. We returned to the Senior Center briefly with the intent of coming back to the Whetstone pathway, where we had built a sizable customer base. Our current location is not perfect, but the co-op has been welcoming of our presence there, and we are continually discussing amongst ourselves how to improve the midweek market–including its ideal locale. (There are many reasons why former venues have not worked out, which I’m not able to explain in this short post.)
It is very important for us to be able to offer homemade and homegrown products to customers during the week, and help fill in the gap between other markets. The Tuesday market farmers offer a wide range of delicious fresh produce: garlic, greens, squash, herbs, beans and peas, potatoes, tomatoes, and much more. Deer Ridge Farm, which sells spectacular cut flowers, often has berries available at its booth. Nearly all of the sales at the farmers’ market go directly to the producers. Prices reflect the cost of production, and not overhead incurred by a third party.
Our farmers and food producers at the midweek market participate out of a commitment to offering fresh, local produce and food products. I hope very much that you will consider buying the products you might buy elsewhere at the farmers’ market. Your patronage will help us grow the market over time, and make it the thriving place we all want.
We always welcome suggestions from the community. What would you consider an ideal location for the midweek market? What would entice you to shop there? Any ideas along these lines (or outside of them) are most welcome. You can email me directly at farmersmarket05301@yahoo.com.
With many thanks for your ideas and support,
Meghan Houlihan
Manager, Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market
Thanks for your reply. As an
Thanks for your reply. As an older consumer with some health issues and a fixed income there needs to be a good reason for me to go all the way to the midweek farmer’s market. I need to be able to combine other errands with my market shopping and I need to know that – for the most part- I’m going to be able to find the seasonal fruits and veggies I eat frequently. For the past 2 years I haven’t been able to do any of those things. I’m still not sure why this current site is considered a good one. All the reasons that have been mentioned in this post- no shade, fewer vendors, all of the cars coming in and out of the parking lot,not convenient for people who can’t or don’t drive. I think many people would love to see the market back on Main Street again. Having the market next to the senior center was a shady, quiet oasis to enjoy while you shopped.People who were walking by or doing errands downtown saw the sign and stopped by and then began to look forward to the day each week when the market was there. There surely is some connection to the much fewer vendors in the current market. There is no reason for anyone to be in the co-op parking lot unless they are going to the co-op. Maybe they’ll notice the farmers’s market – maybe they won’t. It’s not that easy to see with all the cars. No new customers are going to “discover” the farmer’s market while walking around downtown.The current site isn’t conducive to being noticed while doing errands. With the small selection of vendors and the very odd circumstance of it being a farmer’s market that seldom offers local fruit there is no reason to walk the extra few blocks to shop there.When it was on Main Street folks who were going to the market for lunch would invariably end up buying some beautiful peaches or a perfect tomato or a bunch of flowers to take back to their office. And, those at the market to shop would often stay for lunch- sitting on a shady bench chatting with a neighbor or co-worker. That friendly, community aesthetic is gone with this current site.It’s not pretty (despite the brook); it’s not conducive to a leisurely visit and the lack of variety doesn’t warrant a special trip. I will continue to shop the Saturday market and get my midweek produce at the supermarket.
An update ( sort of)
Prior to the reply by the farmer’s market coordinator I had posted a comment on their Face book page basically just asking about why the Tuesday Market was so much smaller the past 2 years. After the reply here on ibrattleboro from the market I received a message via FB stating that I could email Meghan directly. I did – reiterating my query about the diminished size of the market and also repeating what a lot of folks had said on this site- that having the market next to the Senior Center was the preferred spot and that, in terms of foot traffic and repeat customers it seemed to work better than it’s present site. I asked if a more centrally located site could be considered for next year. I haven’t received a reply as of yet. I don’t feel entirely comfortable with a private communication – this is a matter of interest to many people and having a public discussion on ibrattleboro seems a good way to get everyone’s input. I’ll keep you posted if I hear back.