The Town of Minto is discontinuing the farmers market it has operated in Harriston for the past seven years due to a lack of vendors and volunteers.
Business and economic manager Belinda Wick-Graham told council on April 18 that despite changing locations several times and hosting numerous special promotions, there is not enough sustained interest to continue operating.
The Harriston Farmers’ Market started in 2011. It ran for two years at the current location of Minto Auto on Elora Street at the south entrance to town.
In 2013 the vendors committee requested that the market be moved to the Harriston Seniors Building (the former train station) to take advantage of green space, public washrooms, kitchen facilities and parking.
Again, in 2015 the vendors/committee requested that the market be moved.
“They found that when they had a small number of vendors the site looked quiet and therefore people didn’t visit,” states a staff report from Wick-Graham. The market was moved downtown to Tannery Park.
“This site was picturesque and with there already being customers based downtown it was hoped it would result in more shoppers,” stated Wick-Graham.
“In 2016 we scheduled numerous special events and activities to encourage people to come to the market, but once again it seemed that visitor numbers deteriorated in August and when that happens so do vendor numbers.”
At a 2016 season wrap-up meeting in October it was again suggested the market change venues.
“We basically said it’s not going to make a difference if we move. We’ve had four different locations,” Wick-Graham explained.
When efforts to hold an organizational meeting this spring resulted in the meeting being cancelled due to a lack of interest, Wick-Graham said it became clear the market should be discontinued.
“Basically we’ve said we don’t have vendors, we don’t have a committee, we’re not going to have a market,” she said.
A Saturday morning market operated by the town at the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum property will continue, Wick-Graham noted.
“The Palmerston market is a great market; they’ve had the same location for six years and a strong core group of members and those people also sit as committee members,” she said.
Councillor Judy Dirksen said, “I think this is the right decision, right now. I don’t think there’s any other option. As you said, we don’t have vendors.”
However, Dirksen noted a downtown merchant had suggested to her a time change, rather than a venue change, might improve attendance.
“By [1pm or 2pm] on a Friday, especially a long weekend Friday, they’re pretty dead in their store too, especially local people, because who wants to be braving main street on a busy weekend?”
“Friday afternoons is definitely an issue,” agreed Wick-Graham. “But we can’t have two Saturday morning farmer’s markets.”
If in the future a group of interested vendors and potential committee members come forward to operate a Harriston market, Wick-Graham said staff “would be happy to assist as we feel farmers’ markets add to the quality of life in a community.
“But the town simply cannot operate a market without a committee and vendors.”
Minto’s farmers’ markets operate on a break-even basis, the staff report explains. The Harriston Farmers’ Market budget of $1,000 has been raised through vendor fees and sponsors.
“The discontinuation of the Harriston Farmers’ Market will not impact the budget, but will free up staff time,” stated the report, which notes that about 58.5 hours will be freed up by not having a staff person on site.
Additional hours will be saved by not having to implement marketing and events plans.
