Vendors have concerns with Hamilton Farmers' Market review

Some Hamilton Farmers’ Market vendors feel in the dark about the market’s future as the city is set to launch a review of the downtown institution this month.

Kierin Gorlitz, co-owner of Buttrum’s Family Farm, told The Spectator there has been “zero communication” regarding the review since it was approved this past winter.

“It’s been pretty abysmal,” said Gorlitz. “We have no idea what’s going on.”

Council approved the study – which has been coined the Hamilton Farmers’ Market Visioning Exercise – back in February, just weeks after the market’s board of directors asked the city for $ 242,000 to help keep it afloat.

The current visioning exercise comes on the heels of a deeper focus by council on turbulence at the market. An auditor’s report had found the market’s board to be “dysfunctional” in 2020, spurring council to launch a governance review with an outside consultant.

But that process was then interrupted by Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s call for a “visioning exercise” in February, which would put other options on the table such as partial or full privatization of the market depending on the outcome. The market is currently managed by a non-profit entity run by a board in partnership with the city.

The review will also help ensure “that the vision for the historic Hamilton Farmers’ Market reflects the changing needs of the community,” according to the city’s website.

The study, which will launch with a public open house on Saturday, is slated to continue into early next year.

However, even as the launch quickly approaches, a handful of vendors told The Spectator that there has been little communication about the project.

Fraser Fitzgerald, owner of No Bones Kitchen, shared that same notion, noting that he was only alerted to the beginning of the review after he and another vendor, Apothecary Kitchen owner Kristy van Beek, were “leaked” an email that went to so- called external stakeholders.

In an interview, van Beek told The Spectator that she had “heard nothing” about the review prior to being made aware of an “external stakeholder” workshop set for this Friday, back in August.

When she tried to sign up for the meeting, van Beek said she was told vendors were invited to attend the public event on Saturday.

In a statement to The Spectator, city business development consultant Tyson McMann said Friday’s workshop is meant for institutions and organizations in the neighborhood, as well as those involved in farmers markets within Hamilton and the province.

McMann said vendors who sit on the market’s board of directors have been invited to attend the workshop. He did not specify why the meeting is being held separately.

He noted that the event will include a presentation that focuses on the “ingredients of a successful market and market trends,” as well as a “facilitated conversation on the possible programming, design, and market offerings that can be further explored.”

That same presentation will also be made during the open house Saturday, McMann added.

Van Beek said the lack of transparency regarding Friday’s meeting, as well as the review of the institution, has sparked concerns regarding the future of the market.

“It is public service, no different than the library or the police,” said van Beek. “Having good food at the center of our city is vital.”

Gorlitz described the review as “scary,” noting that this is the “first time” she has questioned the future of her family’s livelihood, which has seen seven generations bring produce to the market.

The review also comes at a time in which many vendors continue to feel the effects of the pandemic.

Jason Hofing, owner of Relay Coffee Roasters, said that foot traffic remains “a struggle” for vendors in the market, even as life in the city continues to return to a new normal.

Seyed Olfat, owner of Vinnie’s Fresh Pasta Factory, shared that same sentiment, noting that even before the pandemic the market wasn’t “as busy as expected,” and has only slowed down further.

However, Hofing did note that he was “encouraged that the city cares about the market,” when asked about the upcoming open house.

Slated to kick off Saturday, the review will also include online surveys for both the public and market vendors, two public workshops later this fall, as well as an online forum throughout.

McMann said Saturday’s open house will be the “first opportunity” for the review team to meet with customers, vendors and the general public and hear “feedback, ideas and aspirations as to how the market can be successful for the next 185 years.”

The open house will operate from 11 am to 2 pm near the entrance to the market. All are welcome to attend.