UPDATED: Reform of the downtown farmers' market is the best response to potential exurbian competition

March 21 update: Read the correspondence between Volunteer Hoosier and Roy Ballard (Purdue Extension Educator & Agriculture and Natural Resources for Floyd County). VH reports that there may be a meeting this Friday afternoon to discuss the farmers' market issue and perhaps begin plotting solutions. More on this meeting will be posted as the news arrives.

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NA Confidential is in the mood for a good-old fashioned Sunday morning rant, and providentially, here’s the tip-off from our good friend Volunteer Hoosier (full article here):

“I've learned that the county extension agent is facilitating the creation of a Saturday morning farmers’ market to be held in the parking lot of Sam's restaurant on Charlestown Road … one word is that the downtown farmers’ market is a ‘flop,’ so there's a need for a new, competing one.

“I don't know about you, but this runs counter to EVERYTHING we discussed at the symposium about reinforcing the sense of downtown as a community center. The (downtown) farmers’ market needs reinforcement, not competition. We need to draw folks to the city center to see its beauties and benefits, not encourage even more sprawl to the exurbs …

“ … I don't think it's a flop. In fact, I wish it were open more and with more vendors. But having the county/state creating and supporting a competing venue to divert traffic seems to me a foolish idea.”

NA Confidential agrees that the county and/or state should carefully consider the implications of supporting multiple venues, but we feel that the crux of the issue is that the downtown farmers’ market needs immediate “reinforcement.”

We’re sure that limiting competition is the incorrect response.

(Comrade Baylor supporting competition? How unsettling this must be for those who’ve always considered NAC a socialist just because of the random Lenin triptych, occasional journeys to the former East Bloc, and a nostalgic fondness for Trabants!)

At the symposium, there was general agreement that while the downtown farmers’ market may not be a “flop,” it would benefit from any number of positive innovations designed to “market the market” as an event as well as a place to buy local produce.

Why can’t there be coffee, pastries, arts and crafts tables, a fellow playing guitar … the list goes on and on.

Why hasn’t any of this happened? Has any of it been tried?

All these suggested enhancements have one thing in common, in that there must be some form of central, guiding intelligence to apply a scant few principles of Guerrilla Marketing 101.

In point of fact, the downtown farmers’ market has suffered from a complete absence of creativity on the part of its management, and this begs the question: Who exactly is the management of the downtown farmers’ market? Is it Develop New Albany? City Hall? Do farmers merely arrive, dispense their wares, and then leave?

As Mrs. Confidential has pointed out on more than one occasion, there seems to have been no discernable plan to do simple things that would draw attention to the downtown farmers’ market – say, a permanent banner at the venue, and perhaps another on the Trinkle Dome so that westbound Interstate 64 travelers could see it.

Meanwhile, the current management of Sam’s Food & Spirits seems to be applying perfectly sensible thinking with respect to its large customer base in the exurbs on the north side. Indeed, if there is a demand, then why not facilitate a supply, and if a few of the market customers stroll into Sam’s for lunch … well, isn’t this the way that entrepreneurial spirit is supposed to work?

The truly sad aspect of all this isn’t that someone might be contemplating an alternative, it’s that these same principles have NOT been applied to the downtown farmers’ market!

Currently, the downtown farmers’ market is yet another example of the congenital "lowest common denominator" way of thinking that seems forever to define the New Albany experience.

Like virtually every other dimension of life in New Albany, the downtown farmers’ market will require a healthy dose of progressive leadership and some semblance of a commitment to survey the potential market and determine ways to serve that market.

Like New Albany itself, the downtown farmers’ market must become smarter, or it will disappear into the Coffeyist abyss.

Now, let’s take these problems one step at a time.

First, who’s in charge of the downtown farmer’s market?

Second, does he or she have thoughts on ways to enhance the experience and by doing so, attract customers to the market?

Third, if so, then what’s the schedule of implementation? What’s needed? Sponsors? Time? Money? Celestial intervention?

Fourth, if “no” is the answer to items 2 & 3, then why is he or she still in charge of the downtown farmer’s market?

Speaking personally, neither NAC nor Mrs. Confidential have much in the way of time to devote to this, and we admit it, but we’re here to volunteer what time we have toward a plan to raise the profile of the downtown farmer’s market and to apply to it principles that have proven to be successful elsewhere.

We’d be happy to serve on the committee and donate a few hours a week.

There is nothing contradictory about harnessing the entrepreneurial self-interest of people to achieve a goal that contributes to the greater good of the community.

It’s a question of vision, the organizational skills necessary to adopt and implement a plan, and the willingness to work toward achieving it. The good news is that with ample portions of human capital, the need for cash is reduced to manageable levels.

Anyone else?

We close by echoing Volunteer Hoosier: We “invite knowledgeable comment or ignorant speculation.”

We feel much better now. Time for a walk ...