Vendor says farmers’ market has evicted five vendors

Bailieboro farmer receives eviction notice from bailiff

One of the local farmers who faced potential eviction from the Saturday farmers’ market this winter says he was ousted on Tuesday - and he says the other four who were in the same boat got kicked out too.

Romeyn Stevenson of Ashburnham Farm Gaelic Garlic in Bailieboro said he was handdelivered a letter from the farmers’ market board of directors late Tuesday that states he isn’t welcome back for the outdoor season (which begins Saturday).

“This is a flea market,” he said. “They’ve just booted out local farmers and the result is detrimental to Peterborough County.”

Stevenson says the bailiff who delivered the letter told him she had four other letters - and that they were going to the four farms belonging to farmers who were also at risk of eviction lately.

Those are Circle Organic, Otonabee Apiary, McLean and Buckhorn Berry Farm and Chef Marshall. None of them wished to comment on Tuesday.

Stevenson said the letter he received from the Peterborough District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA) stated he was being evicted because he called

for the board to be dismantled, made public comments to disparage individual board members or the market and published the private information (names and phone numbers) of board members as part of the No Pink Slips campaign in December.

At that time, seven local farmers and artisans were told they were at risk of being ejected from the market.

Also among the seven were Necessitea Elixir (whose proprietor was ousted from the market in the winter) and Finest Gourmet Fudge (whose proprietors did not reapply to participate in the outdoor market season).

The seven were told that allegations of aggressive behaviour were lodged against them by 16 fellow vendors, although they were never told exactly who made the allegations or what behaviour drew concern.

The seven responded by launching the No Pink Slips campaign urging supporters and customers to call the board of directors to not evict them.

No Pink Slips leaflets with the names and phone numbers of the board members were handed out at a rally at Seeds of Change in December.

Mark Jones, the marketing director for the PDFMA, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Nor could Cindy Hope, president of the board.

The seven farmers and artisans all asked the board questions about the accounting practices last year, requesting that the market books be audited.

Meanwhile there’s been tension for years at the market between local growers and artisans and so-called resellers (who bring in produce from outside the Peterborough area or from the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto without necessarily advertising where the food is grown).

Stevenson said Tuesday it’s a shame local farmers are being removed from the market while resellers can remain.

“The market should be an economic engine - not a spout taking money out of Peterborough County,” he said. “That’s the real story, to me.”

The weekly downtown farmers’ market - which sells only locally grown food - opens for the season on Charlotte St. on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.