County takes a produce stand: Market must sell fruits, veggies only

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July 20, 2012

County takes a produce stand: Market must sell fruits, veggies only

Must sell fruits, veggies, homemade goods only

By Lora Scripps lora@athensnews-courier.com The News Courier Fri Jul 20, 2012, 09:04 AM CDT

ATHENS — Those in favor of a produce-only Farmers Market in Athens got their wish Thursday.

Limestone County Commissioners voted 3-1 to restrict the sale of yard-sale or flea- market items at the market on West Green Street.

The market, which is overseen by the county’s Council on Aging, was created to promote the sale of locally grown produce and vendor-produced goods such as honey, syrup, jams, jellies, breads, pastries, eggs and cheeses. Vendors pay $4 per day rental. Rules governing the market exempt growers and vendors with homemade goods from having to obtain a business license.

Both Limestone County Commission Chairman Stanley Menefee and County Commissioner Gary Daly have said in previous meetings they were worried about allowing the sale of yard-sale items to continue because it violates an Athens ordinance. Both men believe some of the non-produce items being sold at the market are not exempt from local and state taxes.

More than 40 citizens attended the Thursday’s meeting, and 10 citizens expressed their concerns. Some shared the same views as Menefee and Daly, while others either wanted to allow yard-sale and flea-market items on certain days or they wanted no changes at all.

“Let’s keep what we have going for the people of Limestone County,” said former manager of the Farmers Market Glenda Easter in a letter distributed to commissioners and audience members. “Numerous people from the county have told me that they don’t have people to come to their sales as they live too far out … Let’s not be negative, it’s working.”

Residents Margie Gold, Edna Garrett, Mary Burk, Hope Gibson and others asked commissioners to leave the market as is.

William Wise said if things had to change, he would like to see the market open to farmers on Tuesdays and Saturdays and to remain as is on Fridays.

Others disagreed.

Resident Shirley Coffman said she could remember when the Farmers Market was just that — a farmer’s market.

“We had a variety of vegetables, fruits and other related items to choose from,” Coffman said. “Now, it seems we have more yard-sale items than anything else.”

Coffman said she has nothing against flea markets and yard sales only that the Farmers Market was not the place for them.

Kelly Range said the local market was running farmers to other markets outside of Limestone County, such as Decatur.

Spirit of Athens Director Trisha Black and board member Carol Forét asked that the county work with the Spirit of Athens organization and allow them to run the market on Saturdays.

“We have had several people who have wanted to see a certified farmers market and have for years,” Black said. “We have a group that’s dedicated to doing that on Saturdays starting in spring 2013. It would be a certified USDA program.”

When the discussion ended, Commissioners Daly, Gerald Barksdale and Bill Latimer voted for a produce-only market, while Commissioner Bill Daws voted against the change.

Daws said he shares the concerns of others who believe if flea-market and yard-sale vendors leave, there will not be enough participation from farmers.

“I would love to see all the booths full,” Daws said. “There’s just not enough participation.”

Daws said he had 300 names on a petition, collected by Wise, from people who visit the market and want to leave it as it is.

Daws said if the market becomes produce-only it would “fizzle out” and “shut down.”

“We need to get together and work with everybody,” he said. “We would have a successful market if we did.”

Menefee said he would like to see more Limestone County growers selling here, adding he can go to the Decatur Farmers Market and find that 25 percent of the sellers are from Limestone County.

“I really would like to have them back over here,” he said.