Farmers Market Faces Changes and Challenges

The Farmer's Market has been growing in popularity the past few summers, and will see several changes this year.

There is a lot "new" going on at Manchester's Farmers Market this summer.

A new location, a new market manager, and new funding challenges will be just a few of the changes seen when the market begins its season on May 7.

The new location this year, at Chi-Bro Park, may be a temporary one--a move that was forced by the reconstruction of the Main Street Bridge this summer as well as a related mill-and-refill project that will affect the market's traditional Adrian Street site--but if it works well, the committee may consider whether a permanent change is warranted.

This will be the third year that the Farmers Market has been under the umbrella of Village Council with a steering committee of local residents and a hired market manager. Having received substantial support from the Chelsea Wellness Foundation for the past two years, the market would prefer to become more self-sustaining in the future and is looking at alternate funding options.

Melissa Licavoli says her son Dominic, age 3-1/2, was her "inspiration" for becoming more nutrition conscious. She also wanted to become more involved in her new community, so was thrilled to see the advertisement for a Farmers Market manager.

A big change in the face of the Farmers Market this summer will be the new Market Manager, Melissa Licavoli, a Manchester resident who originally hails from Chicago. Melissa became very familiar with farm markets as a mother of a young child with severe food allergies, as "that's the only place to get fresh, local produce in the city," she says.

When she moved to Manchester her focus changed to full time mothering from her former career in administration, design, and marketing. She brings all of those talents to our Farmers Market this season, however, and is eagerly planning for events, a new marketing approach, and new ideas to keep the market fresh and growing.

There are many positives to the change in location for this year's market. More space for vendors, more parking for customers, higher visibility from M-52 traffic, a pavilion to host special events, and the playground that can keep kids entertained while parents shop, are all highly desirable from the market committee's point of view.

But any move, no matter how positive, will also have its down-sides as well. In this case, the market is disconnected from its downtown roots and the downtown businesses that surrounded it. That also means the market will miss some of the conveniences of being downtown--such as proximity to banks and ATMs, eating spots, and shops. A lack of storage space for tents and other equipment used by the market vendors was cited as a concern. And simply letting potential customers know that they've moved--and why--is another challenge the committee is facing.

Enter the fresh ideas and power of positive thinking. Melissa and the committee, comprised of Ruth VanBogelen, Andy Supers, Megan DeLeeuw, Ron Milkey, Wilma Trachett, and Dawna Stockwell, have been hard at work this winter working on these concerns as well as others.

Recently, VanBogelen approached Village Council to request approval for use of the park, including additional signage, and storage space. She also discussed a "Friends of the Market" concept that could help provide income and stability to continue the market as grant funds may not be available in future years.

The Chelsea Wellness Coalition and the 5 Healthy Towns program have supported Farmers Markets in all five communities--Chelsea, Dexter, Stockbridge, Grass Lake, and Manchester. This year, all five markets will work together to reach out to their respective communities with a joint marketing program, sharing vendor lists, and hosting special events such as food demonstrations and the "Fresh Farm Fairy."

"Income from the market is by nature quite limited," VanBogelen explained. "Vendor fees simply can't cover all the costs of the market, including a manager. We are hoping to establish a committed 'Friends of the Market' group that will, eventually, become a community investment in the future of the market."

With the market moving away from the actual downtown district, VanBogelen said that the committee is looking for ways to keep the downtown businesses part of the market.

"We would welcome all local businesses to have a presence at the market," she said. "Whether that is just having flyers at the market, to having them attend as vendors, whether on a regular or occasional basis, we really want their participation."

Likewise, the market committee is interested in collaborating with any organizations in the community that could help further its goals of improving the overall health of Manchester residents as well as providing an outlet for food vendors, artisans, and more.

For more information, to volunteer, or to provide feedback to the Farmers Market, contact farmersmarket48158@gmail.com.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.