Slow Sales Lead to Close of Farmer's Market

The farmer's market at John Jay High School had a bittersweet end on Saturday. With increased foot traffic from the Katonah Lewisboro Wellness & Sustainability Fair, the market, which had seen sluggish sales recently, was bustling right up until closing time at 2 p.m. when farmers folded their tables and packed up produce for the last time.

Though the Katonah Lewisboro school district is considering changes to their policy on school facilities use that may have impacted market operations, a loss in customers to nearby Gossets Farm Market was a major factor in the decision to shut down, according to Miriam Haas, who manages Community Market locations.

"When that market opened [in Fall 2008] it provided a place for farmer's year-round, and that was good. But we had a spoken agreement that they would close down for the summer, and they didn't. We went from 250 customers to 125, and we struggled," she said.

Community Markets also decided to try a winter market beginning in January, complete with cooking demonstrations and musical entertainment. But it wasn't enough to ramp up business.

Haas also said the uncertainty of how a new facilities use policy would affect their organization was deemed too risky a situation for her vendors.

The policy is being developed to comply with state education laws, and would limit the use of school property to community-based nonprofits, according to board of education member Mark Lipton, who chairs the policy committee. The new policy may have required the market to charge a nominal admission fee to customers.

Community Markets is a for-profit organization based out of Ossining.

"I've seen a lot of email on this—people are unhappy," said Mark Lipton. "But as of right now, there are no changes to the policy or to the way we handle the farmer's market."

The district can no longer afford to pay overtime custodial fees from outside organizations, Lipton explained. "We are not trying to make money but to stop from losing money," he said. But after the police was read a second time on April 15—it must have three readings before being implemented—so many questions were raised that it went back to legal, he said.

"The policy could change and require another three readings," he said, lamenting what seemed to be a premature close of the market. Lipton also said the board learned of another district policy that might allow the market to rent the space outright, with no admission fee necessary.

But Haas remained in the dark about these potential ways to work within district policy, she said. And on Saturday, Ulrich Figge, market manager, was unaware the school fair was taking place, leaving vendors scrambling to rearrange themselves at the last minute to make room for fair exhibits.

As for the farmers who have shared their wares with the Katonah Lewisboro community the last four years, they are now free agents, according to Haas. Some are joining other community market locations—bakery Bread Alone will head to the Mt. Kisco location at the Boys and Girls Club, said manager Debbie Polaski today. Haas is exploring a new site within the town of Somers.

Tom Gosset of Gosset Nursery said he would welcome anyone that wanted to join his market in South Salem.