BURLINGTON WINTER FARMERS MARKET
Greetings!! I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about and invite you to the Burlington Winter Farmers Market. This is the second year for the market and we love all the community support. The market is a great opportunity to showcase all that Burlington has to offer, 58 vendors will be setting up every third Saturday of the month from November to April in Memorial Auditorium. We have a wide range of products from farmers selling preserves and frozen vegetables, root vegetables, fresh meats, cheeses, maple syrup, honey and eggs. We have wineries offering a variety of local wines. We have prepared foods including your favorites from the Summer Market and we have crafters selling everything from jewelry, a variety of clothing to pottery and photographic art.
The hours for the market are 10am to 2pm, it is held in Memorial Auditorium at the corner of Main Street and South Union in downtown Burlington. Every third Saturday of the month from November to April: (11/21; 12/19; 1/16; 2/20; 3/20; 4/18)
Below is a list of our vendors for the 2009-2010 season:
AH Mushrooms & Plants
Amai Bijoux
The Bakery at Farmhouse Kitchen
Arethusa Collective Farm
Bee Happy VT
The Nomadic Oven
Bread & Butter Farm
Champlain Orchards
Doe’s Leap
Dragonfly Sugarworks
Happy Fantastic Design
East Shore Vineyards
Flower Power VT
Claude Lehman Pottery
Fresh Tracks Farm
Full Moon Farm
Painted Tulip Flower Farm
Got Local Kitchens
Green Mountain Granola
Tibetan Cuisine
Honey Gardens Apiaries
Jericho Settler’s Farm
Tangletown Farm
Lewis Creek Farm
Maple Wind Farm
Sylviel
McGurran Bee Farm
Naga Bakehouse
Sheppard’s Crook Farm
Pine Ledge Fiber Studio
Pleasant Valley Soap Co
Rookie’s Rootbeer
Rooftop Pottery
Samosaman Natural Foods
Recycle Moe
Shelburne Farms
Stray Cat Flower Farm
Neshobe River Winery
Sunny Brook Maple
Sweet Flower Designs
Orsini BBQ
Tamale Girl
Tamarack Hollow
Great Photographic Art of VT
The Nutty Vermonter
a la Lindsay
Dinky Donuts
Bella Farm
Benito’s Hot Sauce
Digger’s Mirth Collective Farm
Botanical Bodycare
Crawford Family Farm
Deeter’s Bakery
River Berry FArm
Willow Hill Farm
J Wagner Designs
Hope to see you there!!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer Market
Hello All,
The Burlington Farmers Market Summer edition is in full swing. After a few rainy Saturday's we have had some great weather recently. We are offering all your favorite vendors with some strategically placed Day Vendors this year. These Day Vendors will be moving around and will not always be there, so please feel free to stop by and ask me about them and when they will be back. The Farmers Market would also love your support in a contest to Vote for your Favorite Farmers Market. Check out the website:
www.care2.com/farmersmarket
Local Harvest is sponsoring this contest and would appreciate your vote.
Thanks for all your support and see you at the market.
Chris
The Burlington Farmers Market Summer edition is in full swing. After a few rainy Saturday's we have had some great weather recently. We are offering all your favorite vendors with some strategically placed Day Vendors this year. These Day Vendors will be moving around and will not always be there, so please feel free to stop by and ask me about them and when they will be back. The Farmers Market would also love your support in a contest to Vote for your Favorite Farmers Market. Check out the website:
www.care2.com/farmersmarket
Local Harvest is sponsoring this contest and would appreciate your vote.
Thanks for all your support and see you at the market.
Chris
Friday, April 17, 2009
Last Winter Market
Hello Friends of the Market,
The last Winter Market is upon us. I wanted to take a minute and thank the community for coming out and really making this first winter season a huge success for the market. We learned a lot about what sells and what doesn't. When the busy times are and the factors that keep people away and what the customers want to see. I really appreciate all the feedback. If anyone would like to share their thoughts on this past season please let me know.
Again thank you for everything and I hope to see you at the last market on April 18th.
Chris
The last Winter Market is upon us. I wanted to take a minute and thank the community for coming out and really making this first winter season a huge success for the market. We learned a lot about what sells and what doesn't. When the busy times are and the factors that keep people away and what the customers want to see. I really appreciate all the feedback. If anyone would like to share their thoughts on this past season please let me know.
Again thank you for everything and I hope to see you at the last market on April 18th.
Chris
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Agreement Reached!!!!
The Burlington Farmers Market is happy to announce that an agreement has been reached with the Burlington Department of Parks & Recreation. The membership of the market voted last Thursday to approve the proposal put forth by the Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Parks & Recreation Commission approved the proposal worked out between the Director, Wayne Gross and the Market Representatives. A three year contract will be signed soon. The Market would like to personally thank Wayne Gross and Mayor Bob Kiss for all their help in negotiating the rent and services. This event became highly publicized and we wanted to thank everyone who came out in support of the market.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
BFM Rent Increase
Even the local Farmers' Market isn't immune to the economic crunch we are all feeling. The summer edition of the Burlington Farmers' Market is in the middle of negotiations with the City of Burlington and is being faced with a rent increase that is staggering to the membership. The Burlington Farmers' Market, and markets around the state, have generally had a reduced rate on rent, or none paid at all, that shows the support from the community and the City that host the market. Entering into this year's negotiations, the Market knew that our rent would be increased due to the size and success of the Market. What we were presented with was a 4 1/2 times rent increase, resulting in our rent, which is paid to the Department of Parks & Recreation, equaling $16,640 for one season. Our previous rent was $3600 for one season. This amount was taken back to the membership of the Market and the majority of the members were blown away by the increase. The membership was given the opportunity to share their views with the the Steering Committee for the Market and another round of negotiations ensued. The second approach from the Department of Parks & Recreation was to phase the rent in over a three year period. The rent would be raised to $5500 for the first year but would go up over $5000 every year for three years, resulting in a fee of $17,000 being paid the third year of the contract. The Market was also informed that we would be responsible for our own trash removal which has always been included in the rent that we pay to Parks & Recreation.
At this point the Market chose to pursue a conversation with Mayor Bob Kiss. The reason for bringing the Mayor in was that the we feel like this is a policy shift in how the City views the Market. We are fully aware that the Market has had good deal in regards to the rent, and were prepared for a moderate increase but feel the proposals are unwarranted. We feel that the City has changed its views on local agriculture, local businesses, and the opportunity to provide an outlet for small businesses that are using the Market as an incubator to grow and expand. This rent increase is coming on top of the requirement that all of our vendors carry their own Product Liability Insurance, which is an added expense and another prohibitive factor for small businesses trying to join the Market.
The President of the Market and the Market Manager sat down with Mayor Bob Kiss to discuss how we feel this has and will impact the Market and its members. The conversation was very pleasant and productive in that we learned the City does love the Market and would hate to see it ever leave. However, no decisions were made or proposed by the City. The Market came out of the meeting, no closer to reaching a solution to the increase and still feeling slightly uneasy about the City's attitude towards the Market. A proposal was put forth by the President of the Market and agreed upon by the Steering Committee that it was time for the us to go public. The entire membership was notified that the next step for us would be to get the community involved. We are reaching out to local papers, politicians and Friends of the Market, our reasoning is to inform the community as to where we are at with the City of Burlington.
The Burlington Farmers' Market loves being in City Hall Park every Saturday from May to October. The Market views the spot as a great central locale for foot traffic coming and going to Church Street and the Waterfront. We believe that we bring people downtown on Saturday's and benefit the local businesses and restaurants. We enjoy showcasing all Burlington and Vermont has to offer tourist to the area and our consistent core of loyal customers. The Market does not want to leave the spot that is has been in for over 20 years, however if the cost is to high, it may be forced to look into other locations.
We are asking the community to get involved however they feel would be appropriate. Our landlord is technically the Department of Parks & Recreation because we set up in City Hall Park, a public park. Their address is:
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
CITY OF BURLINGTON
Attention: Wayne Gross, Director
645 Pine Street; Suite B
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 865-7247
FAX: (802) 862-8027
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Chris Wagner
Market Manager
Burlington Farmers Market
(802) 399-0149
chriscwag31@gmail.com
At this point the Market chose to pursue a conversation with Mayor Bob Kiss. The reason for bringing the Mayor in was that the we feel like this is a policy shift in how the City views the Market. We are fully aware that the Market has had good deal in regards to the rent, and were prepared for a moderate increase but feel the proposals are unwarranted. We feel that the City has changed its views on local agriculture, local businesses, and the opportunity to provide an outlet for small businesses that are using the Market as an incubator to grow and expand. This rent increase is coming on top of the requirement that all of our vendors carry their own Product Liability Insurance, which is an added expense and another prohibitive factor for small businesses trying to join the Market.
The President of the Market and the Market Manager sat down with Mayor Bob Kiss to discuss how we feel this has and will impact the Market and its members. The conversation was very pleasant and productive in that we learned the City does love the Market and would hate to see it ever leave. However, no decisions were made or proposed by the City. The Market came out of the meeting, no closer to reaching a solution to the increase and still feeling slightly uneasy about the City's attitude towards the Market. A proposal was put forth by the President of the Market and agreed upon by the Steering Committee that it was time for the us to go public. The entire membership was notified that the next step for us would be to get the community involved. We are reaching out to local papers, politicians and Friends of the Market, our reasoning is to inform the community as to where we are at with the City of Burlington.
The Burlington Farmers' Market loves being in City Hall Park every Saturday from May to October. The Market views the spot as a great central locale for foot traffic coming and going to Church Street and the Waterfront. We believe that we bring people downtown on Saturday's and benefit the local businesses and restaurants. We enjoy showcasing all Burlington and Vermont has to offer tourist to the area and our consistent core of loyal customers. The Market does not want to leave the spot that is has been in for over 20 years, however if the cost is to high, it may be forced to look into other locations.
We are asking the community to get involved however they feel would be appropriate. Our landlord is technically the Department of Parks & Recreation because we set up in City Hall Park, a public park. Their address is:
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
CITY OF BURLINGTON
Attention: Wayne Gross, Director
645 Pine Street; Suite B
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 865-7247
FAX: (802) 862-8027
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Chris Wagner
Market Manager
Burlington Farmers Market
(802) 399-0149
chriscwag31@gmail.com
Thursday, February 19, 2009
February Market
Hello and Welcome to the BFM blog,
It's been a busy winter for the Burlington Farmers Market. The winter market is going great. We are three markets into the winter with our fourth market coming up Saturday, February 21st. The community support has been awesome, thanks everyone for coming out in the cold. We are still working on getting the word out about the market. Sometimes it feels like the whole city has come out to the market, then a couple days later you'll meet someone who didn't even know there was a winter market. We need our Friends of the Market to help us get the word out. Tell your friends, post it to your blogs, bring your friends down on Saturday.
We also have a lot going on with the Summer Market. Our lease is up with the City of Burlington and we are negotiating our new contract with the Mayor and Parks & Recreation Department. We are getting new applications everyday for a spot at the Summer Market. We wish we could accept everyone but that won't be possible. We have room for about 6 new vendors and so far we have 32 applications. If you would like any information about the Summer Market or the next Winter Market please feel free to contact the Market Manager through the BFM website.
See you all at the market.
It's been a busy winter for the Burlington Farmers Market. The winter market is going great. We are three markets into the winter with our fourth market coming up Saturday, February 21st. The community support has been awesome, thanks everyone for coming out in the cold. We are still working on getting the word out about the market. Sometimes it feels like the whole city has come out to the market, then a couple days later you'll meet someone who didn't even know there was a winter market. We need our Friends of the Market to help us get the word out. Tell your friends, post it to your blogs, bring your friends down on Saturday.
We also have a lot going on with the Summer Market. Our lease is up with the City of Burlington and we are negotiating our new contract with the Mayor and Parks & Recreation Department. We are getting new applications everyday for a spot at the Summer Market. We wish we could accept everyone but that won't be possible. We have room for about 6 new vendors and so far we have 32 applications. If you would like any information about the Summer Market or the next Winter Market please feel free to contact the Market Manager through the BFM website.
See you all at the market.
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