After two summer seasons at Braefoot Park the Sunday Saanich FarmersB次元官网网址� Market will not return for 2019.
Co-organizer Shawn Newby, the president of Saanich Community Association Network, released the bad news in an email to vendors, volunteers and others on Sunday. Newby co-founded the market with former SCAN president Marsha Henderson for the 2017 summer market season.
Newby said that the growth needed after two years was insufficient to carry on.
The last Sunday Farmer's Market for this summer is on until 2pm at Braefoot Park. Food, fun, farming bounty .
B次元官网网址� SocialMediaGirl/Chel (@SocMedGirlyyj)
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B次元官网网址淲e were hoping, year after year, to increase vendorship but it was looking like less vendors for 2019, and more specifically, less of the key vendors, food and farmers,B次元官网网址� Newby said.
B次元官网网址淲e surveyed vendors in the fall, and found the food and farmers were finding it tough considering the foot traffic wasnB次元官网网址檛 always there.B次元官网网址�
In 2018 the Sunday market averaged 25 to 30 vendors and crowds between 450 and 650 for each market, with July stronger than August.
B次元官网网址淭he bottom line was, we needed the vendors to be a successful market, but they didnB次元官网网址檛 need another market to be successful,B次元官网网址� Newby said.
It was disappointing news for Saanich Coun Nathalie Chambers, who lives and works at Madrona Farm. Though Madrona has a daily vegetable stand at its Blenkinsop Road entrance, they also sold goods at the Saanich FarmersB次元官网网址� Market.
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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 absolutely disappointing,B次元官网网址� Chambers said. B次元官网网址淲e need to find another location for a Saanich farmersB次元官网网址� market, and for these activities. Saanich is in the middle of a draft agricultural plan, we are [not reaching] our agricultural economic potential in Saanich and not having a farmersB次元官网网址� market is a reinforcement [of the challenges].B次元官网网址�
Surprisingly, it was the first farmersB次元官网网址� market in the agriculturally-focused District of Saanich, which still doesnB次元官网网址檛 allow the activities associated with a farmersB次元官网网址� market in its bylaws.
Newby said the average of four or five food and farm vendors each Sunday was below what they needed as farm vendors were the main focus of the market and the driving force for Newby and co-founder Marsha Henderson. The two - Newby of the Quadra Cedar Hill Community Association and Henderson of the Royal Oak Community Association - spent more than a year convincing Saanich to grant a temporary use permit for the market. Acquiring a temporary use permit required a three-stage proposal before council, committee of the whole and a public hearing.
In addition to the food and farm vendors were three or four local craft beer, wine and spirit vendors, while the rest were craft or artisan vendors.
B次元官网网址淯ltimately we didnB次元官网网址檛 want to make it into an artisan craft market,B次元官网网址� Newby said.
The temporary use permit also proved limiting as the market could not change time or location without going through the entire application process again.
B次元官网网址淲e did inquire about moving on to the grass at Braefoot but even that was not permitted,B次元官网网址� Newby said.
In a statement, Newby thanked Braefoot Community Association, Saanich mayor, council and staff, the vendors, the customers, and offered to share his experience with anyone interested in applying to start another farmersB次元官网网址� market.
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