Locals foods are aplenty at the College Park Farmer’s Market held just off route one every Sunday from 10am to 2pm.
As winter temperatures started rolling in, the Downtown College Park Farmers Market closed for the season.
City officials saw an increase in sales and traffic this year, but they’re making plans to reorganize the market after several vendors left and the contracted market master stepped down.
Virginia-based KSM Marketing and Events signed a $28,000 contract with the city in February to improve the market. But company officials told city leaders KSM would leave at the end of the 2013 season, said Michael Stiefvater, city economic development coordinator.
The farmers market, which ended Nov. 17, drew more vendors and customers than in the 2012 season. But though the total number of vendors increased, several vendors left the farmers market midway through this season because of low sales and scheduling conflicts. The market has eight vendors, four of whom plan to return for the season starting in April 2014, according to a presentation during the Nov. 19 City Council work session. One vendor is likely returning, and three are listed as unsure.
Looking ahead to the spring, Stiefvater said, the city staff and farmers market committee will work to hold more events during the season. Stief-
vater also recommended to council members that city staff members take on more responsibilities, such as marketing and seeking out new vendors.
“There’s a lot of competition for farmers markets in the area,” Stiefvater said.
In a survey conducted by city officials, Stiefvater said, farmers market customers wrote that they wanted to see bread and cheese vendors.
“We were missing some vendors people kind of expect to have at farmers markets,” he said.
The downtown farmers market is one of four weekly farmers markets held in the city. The market held on Saturdays near the Herbert Wells Ice Rink on Paint Branch Parkway launched in 1979. The Farmers Market at Maryland opened in May 2012 and is open Wednesdays in front of Cole Field House. In June, the city debuted the Saturday morning Hollywood Farmers Market in North College Park.
There’s “a lot of energy” in all of the farmers markets, which is one reason they’ve grown in popularity year after year, Mayor Andy Fellows said.
Starting in January, the city will begin its search for a new market master for the downtown farmers market. This individual will take on a more modest array of responsibilities. The new position will revolve around managing the market on Sundays and providing monthly reports to city staff, according to the Nov. 19 presentation.
By hiring a new market master with fewer responsibilities, Stiefvater said, the salary of the market master could be cut in half — saving the city some expense.
During the meeting, City Council Student Liaison Catherine McGrath said students especially enjoy coming to the market for Bill’s Backyard BBQ and it would be nice to have more prepared food vendors.
“Students have even begun to use him for the on-campus tailgates,” McGrath said.
Next year, McGrath said city officials should try to connect more to student organizations, such as Greek life, that might be interested in setting up tables at the market to advertise events.
“The city realizes that the students are really key to making the farmers market a success,” she said.
Next season, city staff members plan to start the downtown farmers market in mid-April, depending on the weather. District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich said Nov. 19 that construction projects on the horizon — such as the Maryland Book Exchange apartments — will eventually bring even more students to the market.
Considering the city’s continued efforts to collaborate with the university, District 3 Councilman Robert Day said he would enjoy seeing the vendors and customers from the university farmers market on Wednesdays come to the downtown market next season.
“I know it’s a tough call because a lot of people go out on Saturdays and they don’t see Sundays as the big day,” Day said.
