Owen McCoy, manager of the Chestertown Farmers’ Market, and a vendor there for 30 years, approached the town council Monday night with a strongly negative response to recommendations made by the new Farmers’ Market Study Group, commissioned by Mayor Margo Bailey last year.
“The vendors are unanimous in wanting to see this thing go down in a ball of flames,” said Don Biggar of Galena Blooms, one of the Farmers’ Market vendors present at the meeting.
The study group is chaired by the Spy’s Dave Wheelan and the group’s members are vendors such as Doug Rae of Evergrain and Nancy Nunn of Eve’s Cheese. Councilwoman Linda Kuiper is also a member of the committee.
As Bailey began to distance herself from the study group’s recommendations, Kuiper brought up the fact that Bailey had asked Wheelan to start the study group.
The first paragraph of the Study Group mission statement reads, “The Farmers’ Market Study Group operates under the Mayor’s Chestertown Renewal Initiative Project, with the specific charge of making recommendations on the Chestertown Farmers’ Market operation and management based on researching other successful markets as it prepares to enter its fourth decade of existence.”
At Monday’s meeting, McCoy said that many of the markets studied are not comparable to Chestertown’s, such as those in Hilo, Hawaii and West Tisbury, Massachusetts.
“It’s all well and good to study other markets, but we have a successful market,” McCoy said. “We were voted twice the most popular market in Maryland in all categories, of all sizes, and I think fifth and third of all markets in the United States in the small-market category. Everybody I’ve spoken to says, “why are we doing this? We have something that works. We all like it. We make money here. Why are we trying to make changes?””
McCoy, Biggar, and the other farmers present at the meeting took serious issue with the fact that no farmers were included in the study group.
Aaron Shier, one of the members of the study group, formerly worked with Colchester Farm as a vendor at the market. McCoy took issue with the fact that he is not currently a vendor.
“They make up a committee that does not represent what I consider as the market,” McCoy said. “There was no one on the committee who commercially planted a seed, milked a cow, collected an egg, or cut flowers last year.”
“I think the misunderstanding is what a study group is. It’s people who are doing homework for the mayor and town council,” said Wheelan on Thursday. He said the study group “has not formally submitted anything to the town council. We’re still deliberating on the draft so I think it’s a disservice to the process that some of the vendors and the council were talking about a report that was not complete. It was a draft.”
McCoy said that the committee suggested hosting more musical performances at the market. McCoy argued that “our people don’t like events because they make less money. People don’t come downtown when there are events in town. It would be nice for the ambience of the market…but it doesn’t draw.”
Dan Biggar admitted that there were some thoughtful suggestions in the survey, such as having students from the Music Department at Washington College perform during the markets. He reiterated, though, his belief that “it’s for all the wrong reasons. The wording, the implications of it, it’s all wrong.”
Kuiper said that she “didn’t like the way the survey was going, because it had words in it like jury, permitted, allowed, and there was no place at the end of the survey for your personal comments.” She stated that she was uncomfortable about the idea of having a jury decide whether vendors are allowed to participate in the market.
Town Manager Bill Ingersoll said that he hoped that the committee was trying to figure out how to add consumables such as coffee beans and wine to the market.
Biggar also said that “at the very first meeting, the first thing out of [Wheelan’s] mouth was, “since we have crafters involved in the market right now, what this committee is proposing is that we take the farmers out of the [name of the] Farmers’ Market. We would like to call it the Chestertown Market.”
Wheelan, emphasizing the draft-status of the study, said “as a result of the first consultation with the vendors, we removed that recommendation at their suggestion.”
He added, “It’s not just a Farmers’ Market. It’s a crafts market and a farmers’ Market at the moment sharing the park. Within the Farmers’ Market you sell produce, but also in the Farmers’ Market is cheese, coffee, flowers, bread, ice cream. We have three ‘Farmers’ Market’ folks on the group and three from the crafts market. We have also met twice for a total of four hours with the farmers and other vendors, and Aaron Shier is a farmer. I’d say that 99 percent of people who have read this draft document have found it respectful and optimistic about the Farmers’ Market, which I hope will be a useful tool for the town council as they think about the market’s future.”
Mayor Bailey said that “the council would always be the body that would make a decision, whether to accept it in full, or, my suggestion is that we look at it carefully and decide what we want to keep.”
However, Dan Biggar said that the survey “states clearly that the study group’s intention is to take control of the Farmers’ Market from the town. Dave believes that there should be a chairperson and a vice-chairperson and a complete political body involved. It’s very egotistically and politically motivated.”
In response to this, Wheelan said “the nonprofit model is not a political agenda by any means. It’s probably going to be a recommendation. In 90 percent of examples of successful Farmers’ Markets, they are run by non-profit main-street organizations. The majority of these towns believes that the community, not the vendors, not the local government, should manage something as communal as a Farmers’ Market. Jamie Gaudion is the founder of the current Farmers’ Market, was not a farmer — she was a customer.”
Nancy McGuire, President of the Downtown Chestertown Association added, “I don’t think that there’s anything wrong, even when you’re doing something right, to look at it occasionally and see if you can do it better.”
Mayor Bailey closed the discussion by saying that the council would take a look at the survey and make their own decisions about what should be pursued.
Aundra Weissert @ Fit for Life says
One of the best ways to improve a business is to listen to your audience. Has there been any consideration for the attendees/purchasers/consumers of the Market?
What do the people want? Have you asked?
Kevin Shertz says
Territorial pissings, nothing more.
Keith Thompson says
Keep in mind that territorial pissings was a major component of the town getting letters from the ACLU and Rutherford Institute last year.
Linda Parry says
Oh, puh-leeze! “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I’m with Aundra. Has anyone consulted the customers? We love the Farmer’s Market, just the way it is, because it’s seldom the same. And we NEED to keep people coming into the center of town. (Y’know, nobody worries about the parking at O’Connor’s, and the place is always jammed.) We can find parking spaces on Saturday morning if we all exercise a little patience and common sense. What needs marketing is Chestertown itself, not just the Farmers’ Market. This is a tempest/teapot thing. Let well enough alone.
bill arrowood says
The Farmer’s Market in Chestertown is a gem, that’s certain. It offers many in the community a place to gather, visit as neighbors and support in the very best way, local businesses and neighbors. It has been voted as a great farmer’s market, and this is remarkable given its size and the community it serves.
However, it is also a cacophony and aside from the very territorial spaces of the farmers themselves, it is a bit of a free for all.
The craft vendors and non profits are unorganized and the interior of Fountain Park’s grounds take a beating from the traffic. But of all the things that can be improved is that there is not clear leadership, or chain of command. Mr. McCoy does a fine job with the farmers, however the Town controls the booths and the permissions and new vendors have no one on site that is designated to be in charge. The vendor stipulations have been viewed as arbitrary to some and there isn’t a guidebook for procedure. All of these things could only be seen as improvements.
Allow me to site an example using the same real estate, two years ago when the Tea Party Festival decided to add tables to the inside of fountain park for and move the food vendors across the street, many people balked and couldn’t understand why we would change something that had ‘worked’ for 30 years and one long time food vendor dropped out in outrage.
Instead, it worked brilliantly, families and older folks gathered and had a place to sit and eat the food they were purchasing, the site lines for the food booths were better and people could see what was offered and the moving of the bathrooms increased the overall flow of traffic. In hindsight this idea was a no brainer, but it took taking a chance at change to try to improve something to get passed the drama and the concerns.
The survey committee is charged with seeing what can be improved, nothing more, and if people are so worried about change that might improve things than maybe they are either being short sighted or worried that someones feelings will be hurt by saying that they way things have been done for years isn’t still the best way. That is the mentality that nearly everyone on the this site decries as backwards and leading not to being proactive in improving the nature of business in Town.
There is a lot we can do to make things better, Farmer’s Market is not excluded from that, lets not, not do anything, we have had enough of that for long enough.
fletcher r. hall says
Doing nothing does not result in improvrmrnt and progress.
Intelligent surveying of the customers and vendors will go along way in making any informed and necessary changes. And, not essentially and exclusively bu government intervention.
Fletcher R. Hall
Chestertown
Tim O'Brien says
Nicely said Bill. Once we stop trying to improve things for all and just stand still then things stagnate. Why people take offence to some people just asking how we can do things better is strange to me. People or businesses who are able to stay at the top of their game do so because they keep asking how to do things better even when things are pretty good already. Anyone with good ideas and willing to take personal time to look around and see what can be done better around town should be listend to and not jut shouted down with no real debate or transperancy. Its a farmes market, not rocket science! If a few people can not even have a calm discussion about this then how do we attempt to address the towns more serious issues? Status quo not doing much for Chestertown right now, so yes I guess I have been labled the lone decenter by agreeing with the idea that maybe after 30 years we could find some improvements. The internet has come along since then!
I recommend everyone interested in this watch the documentary Food Fight. On netflix. Great big picture of the importance of farmers markets and how they can help and be positive force for change in the community. Great locally produced food or products are nothing less than revolutionary and that does not come without creativly thinking farmers and communities who want change for the better. Lets use the energy of the great creative people around here and stop wasting it blustering about things that should be common sence or shooting good ideas down behind closed doors. We are all in this together, we just need to act like it.
Carla Massoni says
Good people volunteering their time and energy to help the community they love. So sad.
Pete brocker says
The only thing that’s wrong with the market is that they don’t follow the rules they put in writiting . By the way bill don’t you live in Philly ?
bill arrowood says
@pete…well said, and for the record, i work in Philly, as of yet, sometimes, it keeps me away longer than i’d like…
fletcher r. hall says
Linda and Aundra’s comments are SPOT ON. Linda is especially on target when she says, ” WHAT NEEDS MARKETING IS CHESTERTOWN ITSELF”. This has been quite evident for some time, with little government support and weak private sector efforts. You have to blow your own horn if you want to hear beutiful music. The market has a great record and serveral impressive awards. It takes a plan, efforts and financing to mount a good external marketing campaign for Chestertown, including the Farmer’s Market. It is one the important components of the many assets Chestertown has to market. The market is an impotant and significant component, which should require as little governent involvement as possible. Regarding, parking, it can be found with some simple thought and sound planning. (Please not another study group or commission). Perhaps portions of downtown can become a pedestrian mall on Saturday’s or part of the day, as appropriate. Check out the pedestrian mall at another college town, Charlottesville, Virgina.
The market exists, is well attended and parking, using some imagination, is possible. Let’s not just fall for another excuse or bogus, biased viewpoint.
The purchase of farm products and related items is the reason a Farmer’s Market exists. Let us not mess with that central fact. As the comments of Linda and Aundra suggest, survey the prime participants in the market, the customers and vendors. Do this at the end of each spring/summer season and make changes as feasible and sensible.
Chestertown does not need another insignificant issue, which ends up a big debate and causes more devision and strife in an already troubled town.
Fletcher R. Hall
Chestertown
Lisa Biggar says
Thank you, Fletcher. I was going to comment, but you have said it all so eloquently here.
dlamotte says
Wow. There is always room for improving anything and I commend all those who worked on this study group. You would think that
these anti-government people would want to have the running of this by citizens, not the local government. Also…there is quite a lot of
crafty kitsch so it is a market, not just a farmer’s market. Finally, how wonderful it would be to allow cooked food (soups, wine, beer, prepared
foods) like the fab Williamsburg, Va Saturday market. Always packed to the hilt every weekend with people and dogs!!
Gren Whitman says
This happy, 12-month Chestertown Farmers Market patron sez: “It Works!”
We spend $40 weekly on vegetables, fruit, and baked goods — $2,000 or so per year.
Market stands probably should be moved to street (pavement) in front of the Courthouse.
Fountain Park takes a terrible beating on Saturdays from so many non-Farmers Market stands/vendors/feet/etc. that “compact” the grass and dirt.
Just my opinion — which is what’s being sought, right?
Keith Thompson says
I see no reason why you can’t have stands located on the sidewalks along High Street. It would also help link the market to the businesses downtown, who (according to Jeff at the former New York Deli) are having business interrupted by the Market.
John Mann says
Just wanted to chime in on parking. If it’s hard to find, that’s a GOOD problem. It means tons of people are coming downtown! Our colonial town wasn’t designed to accommodate hundreds (thousands?) of cars parked downtown at one time.
Solutions? (Besides the obvious: bike, walk, and carpool…take the Rail Trail into town!) There are also several parking lots along Cannon St, at the waterfront, or in Wilmer Park. Enjoy the stroll through our beautiful town on your way to Fountain Park and don’t be afraid to patronize the outstanding businesses you’ll pass on the way!
The Farmer’s Market is an event. While it is possible to park quickly, make your purchase, and exit town… if that’s all you ever do, you’re missing out on a great experience.
See you all at the Market tomorrow!
Carol Mylander says
I was a vendor at the Chestertown Farmer’s Market for years selling mostly cut flowers, herb bouquets, vegetables and herb plants. I grew from seed and my own cuttings on 1/4 acre in the CHESTERTOWN Historic District. Although I did not come in from a Kent Couty farm, in all respects I was a farmer. In fact, my boxwood cuttings are now large enough to take to market. The Chestertown market is very successful and has grown substantially over the years. It is a happy , friendly meeting place for neighbors and supports farmers, growers and creativity. It meant so much to me when I moved to Chestertown without a job and made an income at the market, more than matching my bread, herb and flower business at the Annapolis Farmer’s Market, a much larger and more competitive market. The Chestertown Farmer’s Market SUPPORTS downtown business, Saturday mornings bring more shoppers to town than any other time. When concerts and activities take place during the market time I lost money and business was slow. These activities could quite easily take place in the afternoon or evening. Let’s support a sustainable town and county. I have used the Tisbury Market and yes it is a wonderful market and a reflection of Martha’s Vineyard-I’ll move if Chestertown gets any closer to being like Annapolis or a fancy crowded summer town with bumper to bumper traffic, believe me Kent County is a treasure and so is Chestertown and so is the Chestertown Farmer’s Market (as it is). My market basket sits by my door , and I look forward to walking to Fountain Park Tomorrow to fill it with vegetables as I have done all winter.
tom mchugh says
First, my disclaimers: I:m from Piney Neck. I shop at the C-town farmer’s market maybe five times a year. I am a very strong believer in “if it runs well, don’t fix it”. So with that in mind…
Seems to me that Owen McCoy has a grand operation here. And maybe I am seeing some of the creeping signs of gentrification in the ideas of the committee? Just maybe? Those who remember the old Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia vs the current model will know what I mean.
As I love the Kent County tradition of working on the water (watermen) I equally value the tradition of farming. My few visits to the market are to purchase the produce, sometimes the bread,and I enjoy strolling the long line of farm people who grow the stuff or get it there for us in some way.
And I trust Owen to keep the tradition going. All those well -intentioned people who work on the committee might work hard to keep Owen’s vision going. I send people to the market all the time…visitors from NYC, Poughkeepsie, Hungary,…and they like it for what it presently is.
I will say the whole tone of the place could be raised a bit if Owen would bring five or six of his pigs, a dozen chickens, and , of course, his goats. But, alas, that act has gone to Ringling, at least for now. All hail Owen’s market. Hey, nice name.
Keith Thompson says
A big part of the problem is that the town takes such an active role in deciding what goes on at the market, and as a public entity they can’t make arbitrary decisions about who can participate and under what rules they must abide by. It would make more sense to me to hand over the decision-making to a group or organization that takes on the task of getting a use permit for the park. I think folks like Owen McCoy are far better equipped to make decisions about the direction of the Farmer’s market than the mayor and town council.
Joanne Ghio says
I don’t know about the issues and politics that underlie the study nor the responses to it. All I know is that I have a deep gratitude for the farmers who labor with so much diligence and pride, week in and week out, to produce the food offered at the market. I appreciate that after working all week, they rise early on Saturday mornings in the heat of July, and this year in the freezing winds of February, to bring that food to us. Thanks to them, we have been able for the past several years to be almost total locavores. I would like to see the discussion focus on ways we can support, encourage, and appreciate the Farmer’s Market farmers as they are a huge part of making our community the unique and special place it is.
Lisa Biggar says
Thank you, Joanne.
Ronny Aseltine says
I am thrilled at the number of farmers and food related products at the market. I go there for meat, eggs and veg. I don’t mind the crafts but I do not want them to chase the farmers and their products away. I do sometimes skip it because of the parking hassle, so I agree with the person who said entertainment would bring more people but not more of those who seriously want to shop. Why not save the entertainment for Fridays? If the town want to improve things for the market they could have signage indicating where market shoppers can park legally . For instance is it okay to use the information/town hall lot?
Betsy Butler says
To help the Farmers’ Market and local businesses, special events could be planned for Saturday afternoon, when there is rarely anything going on. People could go to the Farmers’ Market, do a little shopping and have lunch in town before attending something entertaining in the afternoon.
Lisa Biggar says
Excellent idea! And vendors could stay longer, perhaps, if they’d like, and, maybe make a little more money.
Don Biggar says
Many thoughtful suggestions here, and obviously a community concerned for the future of the farmers market. I must say the vendors of the market were blindsided by the self appointed 11 member study group. Last year when the questionnaire was handed out, no one had any idea the information would be used, and distorted in such a way. It was not explained to any of us how this information would be used, or by whom. Many of the questions were probing into areas of great concern to the vendors. Ie. moving the location of the market, increasing fees to pay for events that weren’t wanted, demanding vendors to purchase signage some simply cannot afford. There were a multitude of issues in that original questionnaire that led many vendors to simply toss it in the garbage can. Keep in mind, it’s a very diverse group of vendors. Some of whom rely heavily on their market income to simply feed their families, while others vend at much larger markets, and only attend Chestertown because it’s their local market, and they choose to, but don’t need to. I have spoken to two such vendors who have said they would rather just skip Chestertown than be asked to leave. And that is one of the major issues with this study groups recommendations. The self appointed authority to tell any vendor they choose, that they cannot attend.
A committee, a jury, a chairperson, and many more positions to fill, all to take the place of Owen McCoy, Bill Ingersol, and the town council. Hard and fast rules, strict governance, absolutes instead of conversation and open debate. Yes, the farmers market appears to run a little loose at times, there are decisions that need to be made on the spot, and some that Owen and the council will debate, but I for one (and the voters who chose it Best in MD) am very satisfied with the way the market manager and the council have guided this thing. There have been vendors from other parts of the state who added wonderful diversity with products not available locally. There have been many instances of thoughtful decision making. And it has proven to be successful.
When the idea of having craft vendors in the park on Saturdays was brought up, the more senior vendors were asked if they would welcome it, we were engaged in the conversation, our ideas, and opinions were valued at the beginning of the idea. Many of the recommendations this study group came up with are contrary to the answers the vendors gave to the questions. Raising the question of “just what is behind this group”? Having prepared foods at the market (one of the issues that came up repeatedly in the study) while downtown restaurants are closing their doors, is not thoughtful decision making. We all need to support one anothers efforts, and refer out-of-towners to local eateries. Just one of many things we can do to help.
There were some well thought out suggestions, there were some thoughtful people involved, however the end result was very much tilted away from the weekly feeling of openness, and community the vendors share in. During the last meeting with Dave Wheelan, and 20 plus farm and craft vendors, a show of hands was taken for who supported the recommendations of the study. Two hands were raised. End of study.
Progress and change are things we should all welcome. They give us all an opportunity to improve. But in the future everyone’s voice should be involved, vendors, and customers alike.