As the popular Chestertown Farmer’s Market builds momentum this summer, the appeal to participate has only increased for vendors from other regions of the Eastern Shore.
While the Easton Farmer’s Market has had no compunction about making slots available for Kent County merchants, such as Chestertown’s Evergrain Bread Company, the current bylaws governing who can participate in Chestertown’s local market, with their “criteria of location,” have restricted space primarily to those products made or grown in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties.
And why such a stringent criteria of location? The bylaws claim “a limited number of spaces,” thus privileging the hyper local growers, producers, and artisans over the generally local, i.e., those who may or may not have their operations in Easton or elsewhere within the Upper Shore.
Enter local(ish) coffee roaster and importer Tim O’Brien. Tim lives in Chestertown, where he is licensed to conduct his business– named Cafetin after the name of the farm community his beans come from in Costa Rica–but O’Brien isnot allowed to sell his product at the local farmer’s market. To refer back to the farmer’s market bylaws, this would be for two obvious reasons;
1.) O’Brien’s coffee is not local, it came from Costa Rica. (Turns out there’s a reason for this, coffee generally doesn’t grow in North America.)
2.) O’Brien’s coffee is roasted in Talbot County, which despite being about 45 minutes from Chestertown, is not local enough.
O’Brien, however, doesn’t see inclusion in the Chestertown Farmer’s Market as a simple matter of local/not local. Echoing what some vendors stated this Saturday at the most recent farmer’s market, inconsistencies abound between what the bylaws say on paper and how they are applied in practice.
“Farmers markets should be incubators for local businesses,” said O’Brien, “And it’s very well known that they often slip in things in the produce market that are not from Kent County or the immediate region.”
“If I have experienced anything from my travels in international development,” continued O’Brien, who served for two years in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, “It’s that everybody suffers when the rules aren’t clear and fair.”
But to Town Manager Bill Ingersoll, the rules of the Farmer’s Market are clear enough, and have been enforced repeatedly throughout the years to limit vendors from selling anything that wasn’t grown or produced locally.
Commenting directly on O’Brien’s case, Ingersoll stated, “basically its not that the guy roasted his beans in Denton, or Easton, or Salisbury or California. It’s that we don’t grow coffee locally, here in Kent County.”
But this word “local” makes itself an easy target for scrutiny and debate. Admittedly the rubric must be adjusted to fit every product, be it vegetable produce or artisanal. But take bread for instance, which was being sold at the farmer’s market last weekend by at least three venders, the Lapp Family Bakery, Highfield Bread Oven, and Evergrain Bread Company.
Bread is a unique product. It is made from the combination of water, flour, salt, and yeast (generally). But most of the grains used by all three of the Kent County based bakeries mentioned above did not come from Kent County. They came from the midwest, most likely, where they specialize in grain production, just like this region does corn and soy. Does that make their product any less local? The answer is no, because we wouldn’t have their products without their local craftsmanship.
In other words, Tim O’Brien isn’t just interested in selling coffee beans, he is interested in introducing people to a craft of coffee bean preparation that is no less an art than baking, farming, beadery, print making or embroidery. In all of the above crafts, it would be all too easy to locate an element or material that is not local. But they remain a consistent, and welcome presence at the Chestertown Farmer’s Market all the same.
So where, if not when, can O’Brien’s product fit in at the Chestertown Farmer’s Market? Given his product is not locally grown, he can’t hope to find a place on the produce side. Meanwhile, he can’t hope to be welcomed by the artisanal side of the market either, because he does his roasting (which is a pretty meticulous, involved process) in Easton. If he moved his roastery to Chestertown (pending the construction of a natural gas line which his roaster would require to run), would things be any different? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, Mayor Margo Bailey is suggesting that a study group be formed, as part of her overall Chestertown Renewal Initiative, to help the Town Council make productive changes in how the market works.
“I think we all know we have a gem of a farmers market in Chestertown. In order to make it even better, I think we (the Town Council) need to know what some of the best practices are with some of the country’s most successful farmers markets, and adjust our by-laws accordingly for what makes sense for our town. I think with the right program changes, our own market can set a gold standard in the mid-atlantic region.”
Lainey Harrison says
I say let him IN! Why not? You got that many vendors you dont know what to do with them all? Chestertown has boomed so greatly you cant let one more guy in? He pays the exact same property taxes as you. He pays the same income taxes as you. He lives in this community and wants to share what he does with his neighbors. Why in the world would you want to shun him? There is no coffee in Chestertown? There is too much cofffee in Chestertown? WHat about the artisan who paints a picture of a coffee bean, can they sell that at the Farmers Market? What about the vendor from Queen Annes county? Why is the QAC fellow allowed in, but not the Chestertown fellow who works in that far, far away place called Talbot? What, nobody from Kent county has ever shopped at the Lowes in Easton? He may just get mad about being shunned and move to Talbot county. Wait, isnt that what our OB Dept did? And now you cant get doctors to come to the hospital in Kent county for work.
AH HA! We just figured out the problem! We chase folks away, and then we get lonely….
I sound like one of those commercials on TV for cable tv service, without this one little thing, it all snowballs downhill…
My advice to the Mayor: let him in, he is an artisan who lives in your community and wishes to share his wares with his neighbors.
FWIW, Ive got no dog in this fight, I dont know the players, only commenting on the game.
Keith Thompson says
“WHat about the artisan who paints a picture of a coffee bean, can they sell that at the Farmers Market?”
Lainey, yes I think that’s allowed. However allowing a musician to collect tips while playing the at farmer’s market…that’s a no no!
Lainey Harrison says
Your’e kidding Keith, really? Can they sell a song instead of giving them away for free/tips? What in the world is wrong with musicians playing for tips?
Keith Thompson says
Lainey…not kidding. When the artisans group was applying for a permit for musicians to play at the Farmer’s Market, the word that came back from the town basically listed three conditions…space needed to be available, musicians could not engage in an exchange of money (including tips), and performances had to be acoustic or amplified at a low to moderate volume. I have no issue with the first and third conditions, but the second condition is unacceptable to me nor to just about any other musician I have talked to.
Lainey Harrison says
I agree with you completely on that one Keith. The second condition is “nuts”! I wonder if the “nuts” were grown locally or imported???? Dont answer that!
Janice D says
Lainey,
I agree, let him in.
However, it’s not the within purview of the Mayor to admit or keep someone out of the Farmer’s Market.
Kevin Shertz says
Gah, what a depressing read.
Jack Offett says
When in doubt, form a committee. I say the coffee roaster ought to file a lawsuit. Government cannot interfere with interstate commerce, and that includes inter-county commerce.
When are we going to form a committee that will look at alternatives to restaurants and coffee shops, like manufacturers and other job creators in the for profit sector?
Tim O'Brien says
Thank you, Spy, for noticing our new Chestertown company and for the constructive commentary. Starting a larger discussion on how we as a community might make our already great local market even better and more inclusive is a good thing. All farmers markets are different, with their various written rules usually produced by some consensus of the organizers and participants on what can and cannot be sold. Many—like Easton’s— do allow locally roasted coffee as a craft product, equal to bread or cheese made from a non-local raw agricultural product but that has been transformed by a skilled local person. We do grow our own coffee beans on our farm in Costa Rica and really wish we could grow it in Kent, less travel! Roasting coffee is not as familiar as bread baking so understandably many do not really understand the skill required to produce a high quality product, and how craft coffee is very different than commercial beans. Yes, our roaster is currently in Talbot as there was a space with permits and gas line that we needed since we did not realize Chestertown did not have natural gas. The plan is still to bring our roasting machine to Chestertown as soon as possible. The farmers market as the hub of the “buy local” community would be of great support to us to showcase and distribute our coffee as we begin our fledgling company. Our hope is to follow the Evergrain model, by starting in the farmers’ market with the goal of eventually becoming a “brick and mortar” business. If the consensus is that our roasted coffee is not local enough or artisan enough for the market, that is fine. We had just hoped that our local Chestertown company, offering the only locally craft roasted, whole bean coffee would be given equal consideration and accommodation as the bread or soap or even Western Maryland maple syrup, all of which have been sold at the market. We agreed with no brewed coffee being offered. Obviously we are surprised and disappointed with the decision but pleased to hear the Mayor and council may consider a fresh look at what is “local”. What exactly is “local” is still strongly debated across the country and constantly being redefined. Whether or not our roasting company is given a stall at the farmers market, we are proud to offer our coffee here and feel buying locally is important and hope everyone will increase support for the local market, artisans and main street business of Chestertown through their consumer choices.
kevin walsh says
Next year when I run for Mayor of Chestertown, this “new ideas” can be swept into the dumpster. Local is local…that is why you cannot sell bananas on the roads of Talbot county…local is grown here. I have taken over 3000 pictures of plastic bags are given in the park…but Acme cannot give them…that is a foolish ordnance and I will not have laws that we make up.
Lainey Harrison says
So Kevin, I dont quite understand if you would be for or against Mr. O’Brien selling his coffee beans at the market?
DLaMotte says
Tim, I cannot wait to try your coffee. I remember a wonderful coffee roaster on King Street in Old Town Alexandria we would often visit. This was
In the late 1960s when that area still had locally owned businesses. I was little and always loved the wonderful aroma when stepping inside the door….
joe diamond says
I think the market will balance itself,
Between the crappy parking, lack of even “comfort stations” registration fees (if any) and the general low volume of the venue will weed out those who come from any distance.
Perhaps exclude any item that can be purchased from a local (tax paying) merchant. Allow market vendors to consign unsold wares to downtown merchants.
Cut down the parking meters. Allow musicians to do what they do…….for tips…….have some fun and back the hell off.
Joe
Let it roll as it will
Carla Massoni says
I have a dream. Maybe not practical – but a dream nonetheless. I would love to see the owners of the various buildings on Park Row gather together to form a permanent “Market” – small groups offering unique products – not necessarily local – but organic/green/sustainable etc. These talented newcomers could rent space in this complex. There would be one central area approved by the health department to take care of refrigeration/regulations etc. that all could share eliminating the need for duplication of facilities. Businesses would have an opportunity to “test the market” (thank you D.W.) and yet have affordable spaces. There is some real talent in these locations already – florists, artisans, etc. I hear tell there is also a visionary architect who might have design ability to pull it altogether. The properties on Park Row have always had a rough time of it as “retail” spaces. But what if the entire area of Park Row became a coherent shopping area….we might have a real gem on our hands….one that would attract folks to our wonderful downtown Chestertown shops and galleries!!
Joan Cramer says
Wonderful dream, Carla! I guess I don’t understand why someone who lives here and roasts coffee, which is an artisanal and constructive enterprise, can’t sell it at the farmer’s market. Shopping locally means, among other things, supporting enterprising local craftspeople who produce high quality products, doesn’t it? Perhaps I’m missing something.
Kevin Shertz says
Carla, that’s precisely the sort of thing the Chestertown Planning Commission suggested when the “Park Row” proposal was submitted back in 2011 — build upon the success of the current Farmer’s Market and proximity to other commercial venues such as the Post Office which draw foot traffic on a regular basis. I view your comment as vindication to the vision we showed at the time, as much as it generated a faux-controversy “buzz” here in The Chestertown Spy.
Selfishly, I could see a small microbrewery (you could even call it a “Public House” thingy if you’d like) could possibly — I’m still very skeptical of the numbers working — make a go if it in the vicinity. Sadly, the asking real estate prices for buildings in this area are thoroughly out of step with the physical condition of said buildings.
But, what a nice thought it would be that somebody could do their market shopping, pick up a pound of locally roasted coffee, and stop in and pick up a growler (or two!) of a locally-brewed beer for their weekend event.
Steve Payne says
Shared space is not unusual at all. It also helps to generate traffic and product mix to an area. In the office and industrial area they’re called incubators.
Marge Fallaw says
Clicking on the red “bylaws” link above takes one to a page-not-found result (because a quotation mark apparently was added inadvertently at the end of the URL). The “bylaws,” or “rules and regulations” for the farmers and artisans markets actually are located here:
https://chestertownspy.com/2012/07/09/archives-farmers-market-bylines/
Ed Hugler says
Take off on Carla’s idea– how about this: have a “try-out” or “play-in” set up in the parking lot across the street (Park Row). So-called “Non local” vendors set up their wares and provide a “voting process” (..maybe online and hand ballot on location?) and let the consumers of the goods and services of the farmer’s market have a say.
Carol Mylander says
Having been a vendor at the Chestertown Farmer’s Market growing all the cut flowers, vegetables and herbs I sold within the town limits of Chestertown I ask readers to understand sustainablility and supporting growers in Kent County. This is what makes our market so wonderful, local people and local fresh products not trucked in from other counties . Our town and state supports this viable and historic practice.
Carol Mylander
JudiO says
With all due respect Carol, why would it not also be wonderful for local consumers to have access to a small batch, fresh, craft roasted coffee, roasted locally by a local right at our own Farmers’ Market, essentially keeping local consumer dollars in the local community, versus buying a mass produced coffee roasted far away from Chestertown, shipped in, possibly stale, with all of your local money going right out of the community.
No one seems to have a problem with bread baked locally, by locals using non-local ingredients. I sure don’t, so I read hope Evergrain continues to anchor Chestertown and the market. I don’t see how coffee really differs from bread or baked goods. This is not about offering bananas at the framers market. It’s not a raw agricultural product, rather it’s more like the imported grain transformed into bread. But done locally, which to me does go to the heart of what the market wants to encourage in Chestertown.
Full disclosure: I married the coffee roaster.
joe diamond says
Time to define local.
I just got an invitation from a company in California to go to a local address in Reading, Pennsylvania. Then there is the issue of what can or is produced here.
I think it was resolved that the town did not have a mandate to fight WalMart. Is there a mandate to limit local citizens to what can be presented in a small public park, one day a week?
Some of these vendors may even be using plastic bags.
Joe
Gibson Anthony says
I think we should do a study to study our use of studies.
I’d like to hear the results of the Recreation Study before we start another study. Have the rec survey results been published? By the way, to correct an earlier reporting mistake, Chestertown does not have a Recreation Commission. It doesn’t even have a rec committee approved by the Mayor and Council. The study was done by an informal group. This is of course a comment on the process not the group.
One of the recommendations of the Port Study was that a Port Commission be created to provide oversight after the marina purchase. To my knowledge, the Port Committee has not been asked to continue involvement in marina oversight and a Commission has not been formed. So, where we could have continued to engage some of the best business minds in the community regarding the marina, oversight has instead fallen back on the Town Manager. This was a concern of the Port Committee, that marina oversight not become one more burden on the Town Manager.
If we want to engage the community, we need to have structure and process that ensures the ongoing involvement of committees reporting directly to the Mayor and Council. This is the best way of taking all the great things the Mayor is doing to the next level.
Lainey Harrison says
Tim,
Queen Annes county has just started having a farmers market again on Kent Island. They gather at Christ Episcopal Church on Rt 8 on Thursday afternoon/evening. Maybe they will welcome you- you will also be closer to me then and I can come try your coffee. Who knows, maybe they will even let you brew some while you’re there! I hate to see roadblocks put up in front of entreprenuers, especially when the rules seem so petty and childish. Best of luck to you!
Liza says
Not to stir the pot but there is at least 1 vendor in the park on Saturday that also has a commercial retail establishment less than 1 block away…The bylaws clearly state:
5. There will be no commercial retailers or itinerant traders allowed.
The rules for the market are applied so randomly that it seems to me Mr. O’Brien could find some leverage by being the squeaky wheel…
JudiO says
And, I believe that at least one other vendor’s farm is actually in Sudlersville, which, at last check of the map, is not in Kent County. I think Liza touched on the problem: arbitrary application of the rules.
Tim O'Brien says
Happy to see how much conversation was generated by this article and thank you to our hometown Spy to provide such a needed forum for constructive discourse. Meantime, thank you to the owners of Evergrain Bread on High Street who are now serving our local Cafetin Roasting Co. coffee on tap and have offered us a helping hand by agreeing to sell our coffee by the pound in their shop. Please stop by and enjoy a great cup of locally roasted specialty coffee from your Chestertown neighbors up the street.
Thank you,
Tim O’Brien
Carla Massoni says
Don’t you just love small towns? I know I do!!!
matthew weir says
I thought I would ask some friends from ‘outside the town,’ as I do not live in Chestertown. Here is what the head of the Georgetown (DC) farmers market says:
There is a divide on this issue. We do allow locally roasted coffee. Our roaster sources from his family farm in Hawaii (as well as other farms around the world this season).
We have decided to make an exception because people need coffee, it adds to the market, it’s better than giving money to Starbucks, it cuts out one level of travel for the product.
As far as I know, every other market prohibits coffee. Our choice is slightly controversial and required some debate by our board.
Tim O'Brien says
Matt,
Thank you for looking into this and yes local roasted coffee is a debated product in farmers markets. I will be happy to provide information on where it is accepted and where it is not to help the market organizers analyze current trends . It is true that in big cities like DC where space is at a premium and there are waiting lists to join farmers markets, coffee is mostly excluded but even then not always. The Georgetown market is extremely restrictive and glad to see that even they could make an exception for a person who grows and roasts their own coffee. I appreciate your comments but did not want your comment that “every other market prohibits coffee” to be misunderstood though as I believe your referring only to downtown DC markets. The downtown DC markets almost all do exclude local coffee but further out like Bowie and Severna Park and many others do. Zeek’s Coffee for example, now a strong local Baltimore company, started in the farmers market there. Where space is not an issue, like in Chestertown, local coffee roasters have become welcome additions to many great local markets as they provide a fresh quality local product and a “staple” for many people that helps bring them out. Kent Island, Easton, Annapolis farmers markets, just to mention a few close ones, currently do have local coffee being sold there.
matthew weir says
Tim,
Thanks for clarifying the comment I posted. I should also clarify that the comments were not mine, but instead those of one of the organizers of the Georgetown farmers market. You are correct, Tim, the issue varies city to city.
There are many different facets to this discussion. Obviously one of the questions is what is local? And, further, does the farmer’s market have to be only local goods? If the farmer’s market is a place to go and buy/sell goods, what relevance do homeless kittens have to a farmer’s market? Not that I am against finding good homes for kittens, but I simply think that the community needs to make sure the market (which seems to be running out of space!) is reserved for those things that best fit the guidelines of the market. If someone’s products are not selling well, should they continue to be rented space at the market?
Kevin Shertz says
This is a subject that can be debated quite thoroughly without puppies and kittens. Don’t go there…
matthew weir says
Well here is another approach, Kevin: The best tomatoes I have ever eaten come from the Amish group that also sells very tasty buns, bread, etc. I wonder where they are grown?