After deciding to keep the Farmers Market in Athens open five days a week, the Limestone County Commission may soon decide to scale back operations.
County Commission Chairman Stanley Menefee said he’s noticed fewer patrons at the market in recent weeks. He added it might be beneficial to limit the market to just three days per week, though he hasn’t decided which days.
“I come by and notice on certain days you don’t have as many people, and on other days you might have a big crowd,” he said.
In August, the commission voted to change the market from a Tuesday and Friday operation to five days a week. They also voted to keep the market open from April to December.
In July, the commission voted 3-1 to restrict yard sale and thrift store items from being sold at the market. The dissenting voter, Commissioner Bill Daws, believes that decision is why there are fewer people now patronizing the market.
“That was my fear, and I was afraid if we [restricted yard sale items] that we’d eventually have to shut it down,” he said. “There aren’t enough people down there to run it five days a week, and that’s what I said was going to happen.”
Menefee, however, believes the commission’s decision to make the market for producers only has no bearing on the dwindling crowd. He said he’s been “pleasantly surprised” by the transition to a producers-only market.
He added the lack of fewer patrons is likely attributed to the time of year because there are fewer produce items available for sale compared to the spring and summer months.
“Some of the things that were happening down there, we couldn’t keep doing,” he said. “You can’t sell merchandise the yard sale people were selling and not collect (sales) tax. The only thing exempt from taxes are things you eat.”
One vendor now selling his wares at the market is Jimmy Williams of Jimmy’s Greenhouse in East Limestone. Prior to this year, he only set up at the Farmers Market two or three times.
“I usually work the Huntsville Farmers Market and traffic got to be so bad, I started coming to Athens,” he said.
Williams said he was on friendly terms with several of the yard sale vendors who frequented the Athens market. He said the decision to change it to produce only, however, had provided an atmosphere for growers to talk shop.
“[Producers] have a lot of things in common, so it’s been quite enjoyable,” he said. “When [patrons] get used to it being open every day, they will be there every day. It’s something [the commission] will have to work out, but I hope next year it will go full-time.”
Menefee said the commission could make a decision on the market next week.
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