Eviction stuns five farmers’ market vendors

Evicted Bailieboro farmer fears the Saturday market has turned into ‘a flea market’

The five local farmers who were evicted from the Saturday farmers’ market this week are “stunned” to have been kicked out and say the market’s board of directors has “gone rogue.”

The farmers made the statements in a release issued Wednesday.

On Tuesday, five vendors were terminated from the market: Circle Organic, McLean and Buckhorn Berry Farm, Ashburnham Farm, Otonabee Apiary and Chef Marshall.

They were part of a group of seven local vendors and artisans who were told by the market’s board of directors in December that they were facing potential eviction over allegations of aggressive behaviour.

Since then, one vendor – Sax Francisco, who sells tea under the business name Necessitea Elixir – was ousted.

Meanwhile the proprietors of Finest Gourmet Fudge did not re-apply to take part in the outdoor market this season (which starts Saturday).

That left five vendors of the so-called group of seven – all of whom were officially terminated as of Tuesday.

The eviction letter sent to them from the Peterborough and District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA) states that they were terminated over behaviour such as making disparaging remarks about board members or the market.

Cindy Hope, president of the PDFMA, has not responded to a request for an interview made on Tuesday. Neither has Mark Jones, marketing director for the PDFMA.

In January there was a closed meeting for all members of the market to determine whether the group of seven could stay.

In the release, the ousted farmers state that one of the group of seven – Astrid Manske, of Otonabee Apiary – heard details of the complaints against her at that meeting.

She was allowed to defend herself, states the release, and then the members voted against evicting her.

Then the allegations of aggressive behaviour made against the group of seven were then all withdrawn, states the release. So why have the vendors now been evicted?

“The answer can only rest with the PDFMA board who have gone rogue over the wishes of the farmers’ market members,” states the release.

On Wednesday, two ousted farmers were selling at the downtown farmers’ market on Charlotte St.; Circle Organic and Ashburnham Farm Gaelic Garlic have been selling there for years.

The downtown market sells only locally grown food.

Farmer Andrew Flaman from Circle Organic said business was brisk Wednesday.

“Every other customer is like, ‘We support you,’” he said. “People are concerned with their food supply.”

Romeyn Stevenson of Ashburnham Farm Gaelic Garlic said he was also busy at the Wednesday market, and some of his customers told him they would boycott the Saturday market.

Meanwhile the grandson of the man who gave Morrow Park to the city in trust told The Examiner on Wednesday the city shouldn’t be allowing the market to oust local farmers while resellers remain.

Ian Falkner is the grandson of Harold Morrow, who handed the lands over to the city in trust in 1938.

The condition was that Morrow Park — the site of the Saturday market — be used forevermore as a place to promote Peterborough County’s agriculture.

He wrote in a letter to the mayor and council that he’s “extremely upset and disappointed” with the city for allowing resellers to take over.

Mayor Daryl Bennett wrote a response to The Examiner on Wednesday about the market dispute.

“I believe there are approximately 100 vendors with about half of them being local farmers and the majority of the rest being food producers or crafts people,” he wrote.

“There are local farmers and local producers caught on both sides of this internal dispute among the market vendors.”

But Stevenson said the Saturday market has so many re-sellers that it can’t really be accurately called a farmers’ market anymore.

“This is a flea market,” he said.