Recent Drop Off in Decatur Farmer’s Market Shoppers
Decatur Metro | October 12, 2010In a note from the organizers of Decatur Farmer’s Market posted on The Decatur Minute…
Since Labor Day there has been a drop off in the number of shoppers at both the Saturday and Wednesday markets, particularly the Saturday market. School starts, kids get busy with activities, and the number of events increases. This is the first year the Decatur Markets have been open year-round so remember to stop by and shop. You gotta eat, right?
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One thing that has frustrated me is a noticeable lack of farmers and vegetables. I would go more often if there was more fresh grown stuff.
Ditto. The two times I went there was hardly anything there. Admittedly, I may have been too late (10-ish), but still….
There has also been a marked drop in the number of vendors on Saturday in my view, but this is a function of the season. Same thing at East Lake, which shuts down until May at the end of this month.
I’ve gone my first and last time. Perhaps it’s a function of where I grew up (i.e. “a “regional” term), but when I hear “farmer’s market”, I envision an open air “clearing house” for local farmers. Pick-up trucks laden with fresh produce pulled directly under a canopy, and nothing more to prepare the sales area than to drop their tailgate. Oh, and LOWER prices than one would pay at the grocer, due to the lack of a middle man. I went to the Decatur market and immediately parted with a $20. I think I had roughly a pound of yellow squash, a pound of green beans, and a loaf of bread, or some such. Oh, and sticker shock. And disappointment. Never again.
A few of my favorite Wednesday vendors told me that they can’t justify coming to the Saturday market because there are other (bigger, more popular, more profitable) farmers’ markets at the same time slot. So it’s kind of circular, right? The vendors don’t come on Saturday because there aren’t enough patrons, and the shoppers don’t come because the merchants aren’t coming.
Yes, the old chicken and egg dilemma (sorry couldn’t resist).
Every farmers market, and for that matter, any business struggles with this exact same dilemma. The first day of our Saturday market we had about 500 people come out to shop. If there were 500 people coming to the Saturday market each week now there would be quite a few more farmers selling than we currently have. Support the market and the farmers will come.
There are a number of factors that affect the availability of produce because this is local farming after all. If you came at the height of the growing season, then I would be surprised that anyone would make this comment. If you came a couple of weeks ago when the crops are changing from summer to winter and the availability is down then this comment would not surprise me. The most basic comment I can make is: support the market and the farmers will come.
As for addressing the cost issue. We try to focus on farmers that grow using sustainable practices. So, when shopping for produce at the supermarket or our market you tend to get what you pay for. My most basic comment on this would be: ask the produce manager at the supermarket if his greens were picked this morning and do the same at our market. Do the same exercise by asking what the farmer’s growing practices are.
I totally get the sustainable growing practices advantages, I really do. However, when I can buy a pound of organic green beans at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market for a fraction of the price that I can at the Decatur Farmer’s Market, then I will. DFM’s green beans may have been grown in Mexico. But I have to stretch my grocery dollars where I can and when I’m feeding them to my kids, organic is my priority, with locally grown being a lesser priority. I really do love the idea of the Decatur Farmer’s Market and I hope it is ultimately successful. But it is a luxury that our family can’t afford right now.
My attendance has slaked a bit because I am in two CSA’s right now and don’t have much of a need. I do try to stop by an d grab a couple of items a few times a week just to support the local farmers.
Many of the other markets have chef demos. I think Decatur should reach out to some of the local chefs to participate in the market. It would help if folks saw some of the chefs shopping at the market too. Chef sitings at Morningside & Peachtree Rd markets are common place.
I will say that the pricing at Decatur is much higher than at East Atlanta & East Lake. Heck, some of the booths at Peachtree & Morningside are cheaper than at Decatur and those two are pretty much all certified organic whereas Decatur is “naturally grown”.
I am hoping next year to see some of the Saturday only farmers merge into the Wens market to make it a bigger & better market for the mid-week fix.
Aimee,
We appreciate your support of the sustainable agriculture movement because at the end of the day that is the point be it with a CSA or farmers market.
We are starting up chef demos and the first one will be with Terry Koval from Farm Burger on November 13th. Please come out.
We will be starting a series of demos with the following chefs:
Leon’s Full Service
Eric Ottensmeyer
Badda Bing
Michael
Farm Burger
Terry Koval
Cakes and Ale
Billy Allin
Watershed
Joe Truex
Sawicki’s
Lynne Sawicki
with a few more not confirmed yet. Thanks to Heather from Leon’s Full Service for setting them up.
As always, if anyone would like to volunteer to help out with the market or if you have any good ideas or suggestions please email .
Thanks,
Greg
P.S. if anyone interested in sustainable agriculture is looking for good reading for a starting place check out In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan http://tinyurl.com/35tobej
All the farmers markets seem to have a similar issue this time of year:
see Deborah Geering’s post this week:
http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/covereddish/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10149777
The prices are waaaay too high!