May 4th, 2009 By Justin Williams
Please Fix the Evansville’s Farmer’s Market
One of the things I have been enjoying since moving downtown last fall is the weekend activities that always seem to take place. While many restaurants and local businesses still have poor hours on Saturday and nonexistent ones on Sunday, there’s usually at least one weekend activity that brings the people downtown and prevents me from thinking I am living a scene from I Am Legend two days out of the week.
This weekend was the first of what should be many weekly farmers markets in the vacant lot across from the Old Post Office downtown. At its height, the farmers market will feature 8 or so vendors selling fresh produce and plans. During opening weekend this year, there were 4 vendors, a large banner and a small, but steady stream of customers.
I like the idea of a farmers market in downtown Evansville, but I can’t help but feel that it’s lacking compared to other cities I’ve seen. Lafayette, Indiana has one of the finest markets in the country or the world with dozens of local vendors selling their goods to the public. The Lafayette market is an event and well known in the community. Given the location and time of the Evansville one, it seems like an afterthought. I’d much prefer it to be in the middle of downtown along the walkway or some other side street instead of tucked in between a nearly abandoned building and a parking garage.
Adding an element of entertainment to the market wouldn’t hurt either. Activities like face painting, live music or workshops put on by the vendors would certainly attract more people to the event each week. Having a Web site to announce these sorts of things is something that is missing as well.
I am not sure how long the Evansville farmer’s market has been in existence, but I do hope it can grow into something that is more than it is presently. With a bit more input and support from the community we could have a regularly scheduled, locally produced event that could drive more people to the downtown area: something I know the city has been trying to do for years.
photo courtesy of jchatoff
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The Farmer’s Market seemed so much more –dare I say–”festive” when it was located on 4th Street between Locust and Chestnut. It seems so orphaned in that big empty lot across from the old post office. I was disappointed last year to see the tomatoes and other produce offered; it appeared to come from GFS rather than a local farm or field. Downtown finally has some good things going on…and you’re right about the I Am Legend reference. If there’s not an event, it’s pretty desolate. The new businesses on the walkway are a welcome addition. If only the market, now open on Friday AND Saturday, would morph into a REAL farmer’s market.
Don’t know about Saturday but Friday morn. there was more than 4 vendors, I agree that there is plenty of room to grow with this and hope that GAGE has the interest in it that it will require, opening on saturdays this year is a start.
I too was quite disappointed after visiting the farmer’s market saturday morning with my family. One vendor was selling oranges. Are you serious? Oranges? We’ve recently moved here from Bloomington, where the farmer’s market there is a festive event that promotes locally-grown produce, not grocery store produce that can’t even be grown in Indiana. I think another issue besides the ones that have been mentioned in these previous comments is that some of the vendors perhaps are missing the point of the farmer’s market-it’s not a swap meet. As I understand it, in Bloomington’s farmer’s market, one of the rules for being able to sell there is that it has to have been created in Indiana. This is an opportunity for our community to support our local economy, among many other benefits of having an effectively-run farmer’s market. If we need a better way to promote and regulate it, count me in. I will volunteer my time to help.
bloomington farmers market=hippies smell
I agree that the Farmer’s Market could be a big boost to Downtown on a weekly basis if it was also held on Saturday and included some family entertainment. It would be nice to have an open air grill as well as nothing draws people like the smell of barbecue. Thanks for addressing this issue!
I don’t think it’s a secret: people like spectacle. In the case of the farmers’ market, shorter hours (perhaps 8-12 or 9-1) would certainly bring the impression of a larger crowd. But as other people have noted, that spot is a bad match for a market of this size. In my opinion, the market would be drastically improved if it was set alongside some other business hub. Given the need to draw more people to Main Street, why not place it there? Or even on Second Street near the Penny Lane Coffee House. That’s a nice shady street, with a big commercial wall on the Penny Lane side. I imagine that corner could easily accommodate 8-10 growers without encroaching too far into the residential neighborhood. Really, though, my point is that the city needs to develop a symbiotic relationship between businesses where people come downtown for one activity—say coffee, or brunch—and stay to buy produce. It’s possible to link these activities together in mutually beneficial ways.
Right now, I think part of the problem may be a product of poor involvement from GAGE. I’m new to the area, but I haven’t noticed a “Market Master” or GAGE representative present at the market. Most successful markets have someone—or several people—in this position to organize events, deal with disputes, and ensure that growers are actually selling local products. If folks are serious about improving the quality of the market, establishing some oversight would be a good place to start.