Local farmer calls for changes at market

A new constructive approach is needed to turn the Saturday market from a flea market into a legitimate farmers’ market that acts as an economic engine for Peterborough County and an incubator for new local farmers. The following points need to be understood as a great many ‘alternative facts’ have been put forward.

1. The Saturday market is not a farmers’ market but a flea market — the definition of a true farmers’ market is set by the province and this market has failed the test for years. The rules are clear —the percentage of “real farmers” to total vendors has to exceed 50 per cent.

2. The Morrow Park lands were gifted to the Agricultural Society for the benefit of local agriculture — not the trucking of goods from the food terminal where food from many countries, not just Ontario, is sold.

3. The current terms of agreement between the city and the current market board specifically bans the activities currently going on, such as the reselling of manufactured products. The city will clamp down on your cat taking a walkabout, but not enforce the terms of the use of the Morrow Park property.

4. Truckers should be limited to bringing in out-of-season or not locally available produce like peaches and grapes etc. Apples are available locally.

The Negative Impact

1. Peterborough tax dollars are underwriting the importation of wholesale food from the Food Terminal to compete unfairly with local farmers and independent grocery stores who have to pay full taxes, while the truckers pay no local taxes and take their substantial revenues out of the county.

2. If truckers were limited to two booths, suddenly this market could start to incubate new local farmers and as a result grow employment and tax revenue inside Peterborough County.

3. Local fruit growers and vegetable growers are directly undermined by the dumping of Food Terminal food into the Peterborough area. One of the large apple re-sellers dumped asparagus into the market, cutting local asparagus sales by 50 per cent in one day.

Solution

The Saturday Market should be converted to a Peterborough County economic engine and young farmer incubator. The city should not —as they are considering, waste tax payer dollars on a consultant project to study the issue — the solution is readily available FREE and consists of:

1. Enforce the rules for the use of the property by the market — no manufactured goods are to be sold at the market — thus opening up stalls for young farmers.

2. Pass a bylaw that converts the market into a true local farmers’ market, and demands truth in product signage — and invite the Peterborough County Warden and other leaders to work with the mayor on driving the growth of young farmers in the county.

3. Invite tender fruit and food terminal truckers to the market, adhering to a new city bylaw, ensure their booths and specific products are identified as nonlocal and with accurate labeling, such as product of Niagara County or product of Mexico, so there is truth in advertising at the market.

An invitation

The City of Ottawa is just one of the municipal governments that has successfully solved their trucker problem and created a number of vibrant local Farmer Markets. The architect of that change (now retired) is coming to Peterborough in early May to educate a public forum on the Ottawa approach to operating a true farmers market.

I invite the mayor to set up a meeting with the Ottawa contingent and to create a Peterborough-based solution using the experience from the proven Ottawa solution. I can arrange for the mayor to have advance insight to the current bylaw and market rules used in Ottawa, thus ensuring the maximum information exchange when the mayor meets the Ottawa folk.