Farmers Market Boosted Community, Economy, Say Organizers

For the first Wednesday since April, Albany residents don't have the city's weekly farmers market to look forward to in the afternoon.

The market's first season came to a close last week. An air of sadness could be felt among the vendors as shoppers strolled by and picked up their last batches of fresh, organic goods.

Nonetheless, vendors and city staff say they are confident the market will return in 2012. Albany’s Planning & Zoning Commission is slated to decide Nov. 8 whether to grant the Ecology Center the necessary permits to continue.

The  has been running Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. on Solano Avenue, just west of San Pablo Avenue, since early May. In looking back, many said they believe, in those five months, the market became a lively community hub.

“We had a great first year,” said Ben Feldman, the Ecology Center’s farmers market program manager. (Feldman also lives in Albany.) “A lot of Albany residents came out and they were very excited.”

Feldman said the two main markers of success for a farmers market are whether vendors want to do the market again, and if the shoppers are plentiful. Feldman said both goals were met in Albany.

Many vendors are excited to return and, according to a survey conducted by an independent consultant for the Ecology Center, an average of 800 to 1,200 people came out to the market each week.

Indeed, vendors from companies such as , and  said they have done well for themselves.

“We’ve sold out every time,” said Melanie Bandera-Hess with Soul Food Farm. She said last week that she was sad to see the market wrapping up for the season and is hopeful the owners of Soul Food Farm will want to return.

Even those who weren't completely satisfied said they saw something special in Albany.

“I don’t know if we’ll come back,” said Deborah Moss, who sells Spring Hill Jersey Cheese. Moss said she would have liked to see more business, but added that she thought Albany’s market has the potential to thrive.

“There was a good exchange, and a real good sense of community, more than other markets,” said Moss.  

Feldman said the farmers market helped businesses nearby by bringing in more foot traffic as well. The consultant's survey showed that 64 percent of customers identified the farmers market as their main reason for visiting Solano Avenue.

That boost to the local economy was a major reason the city helped sponsor the market, said Nicole Almaguer, the city's environmental specialist.

“The goal of the market was to involve the businesses, bringing one more spotlight to Solano,” she said.

Though many have expressed hearty enthusiasm, others have said there's room for improvement. Some neighbors have cited traffic congestion during the market. And some local business owners have raised concerns as well.

In mid-July, a group of business owners immediately surrounding the market expressed some frustration, in an , that vendors' vehicles were blocking their storefronts.

According to Almaguer, the city addressed these concerns by reworking the layout of the booths and having vendors move their vehicles as soon as the booths were set up.

“It was resolved within our capability at the time,” she said.

If the permit is approved at the Nov. 8 planning meeting, the market will return to the same block of Solano Avenue, between Adams Street and San Pablo, next year. No major changes are anticipated, although new vendors may be invited to widen the selection.

Feldman said, ultimately, he'd like the market to run year round, rain or shine, but organizers are still deciding whether next year is the best time to begin. For the market to become a success in the long run, he said, it has to become a main shopping destination for customers, which can take up to five years.

In the meantime, the market must develop a personality of its own.

“It does take a few years to develop that personality, but I can already see that happening in Albany,” he said.

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The future of the Albany farmers market will be discussed at the , which takes place Nov. 8 at City Hall at 7:30 p.m. The public can email cityhall@albanyca.org with feedback about the market.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.