Since late October the City of Moscow has been gathering feedback from the community on ways to improve the Moscow Farmers Market.
This stems from the USDA Rural Enterprise Grant Moscow received in May of 2012, which gave the city money to prepare a strategic plan for the market, Jen Pfiffner, assistant to the city supervisor, said.
Moscow held the second public meeting to discuss the farmers market on Jan. 10.
Pfiffner said people could learn about the interim report on the market and the progress that was being made on the plan at this meeting.
From the grant, Aaron Zaretsky was hired as a consultant to work with the city on creating a plan, she said.
Pfiffner said Zaretsky has 30 years of experience with both farmers markets and public markets, and has been working with the city since October to make the best plan for the farmers market.
In the beginning, Zaretsky had thoughts of transitioning the farmers market into a public market, but after initial discussions he said the public market would not be a good fit for Moscow.
A public market is generally a year-round indoor market where regional produce and wares are sold, whereas a farmers market sells regional produce and wares but is typically outside and based around growing seasons.
Instead of looking to transition Moscow’s farmers market to a public market, they are instead looking at where the market should be held, ways to expand the market, and ways to set it up to better benefit the community, Pfiffner said.
She said the market saw a major change in 2012 – the move to Main Street because of Jackson Street construction.
In the Moscow Farmer’s Market Location Survey Report Results of 2012, many people commented on the change.
“The farmers market is so great on Main Street. It incorporates the local businesses on Main Street and the vendors. Great idea.” and “New Street location is great. Move spacious, better seating, less crowded. More kid friendly — it’s not running directly onside a highway.” were examples of some of the positive comments the city received about the move.
Because of this, the city is looking at moving the market to Main Street permanently, and people can give feedback on this location and other aspects of the market in questionnaires open to the community, Pfiffner said.
Also in the plans is consideration of allowing farmers to set up product trucks in Friendship Square for a tailgate type of market, and new rules concerning what percent of the products being sold are local, and are supplied by local businesses, she said.
Zaretsky said the Moscow Farmers Market is special, unique and amazing, and he just wants to help make it more so.
The city plans to present the draft of the Strategic Plan to the public on Feb. 7, then to the administrative committee of the City Council on Feb. 25 and finally to the City Council on March 4.
By March 29, the city plans on having the submission of the final Moscow Farmers Market Strategic Plan delivered to the USDA.
Allison Griffith can be reached at [email protected]