Seven local farmers and food producers are “stunned” they are no longer welcome at the Saturday Peterborough Farmers’ Market.
The board of the Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA) has since confirmed five vendors’ applications for market space were not renewed for 2018, but will not comment on the reasons why.
After launching a public campaign to protest their proposed eviction from the market following allegations they were aggressive towards other market vendors, the seven vendors claim the PDFMA board has evicted them for “vague allegations of harm to the market’s reputation” as a result of their anti-eviction campaign.
On Tuesday (May 1), representatives from the so-called “Group of Seven” — McLean Berry Farm, Circle Organic, Otonabee Apiary, Ashburnham Farms Gaelic Garlic, Finest Gourmet Fudge, Chef Marshal, and Necessitea Elixir — issued a statement to media advising the board of the Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA), which operates the Saturday market, handed the seven vendors “pink slips”.
On Wednesday night (May 2), three of the vendors — Erin McLean of McLean Berry Farm, Julie Fleming of Circle Organic, and Astrid Manske of Otonabee Apiary — issued a media release with further details (published in its entirety below).
kawarthaNOW reached out to the PDFMA board and offered to publish a rebuttal or other statement of equal length from the board. The board has provided a statement (also published in its entirety below).
“The Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA) confirms that five vendors’ applications for market space were not renewed for the forthcoming year,” the statement reads in part.
“The PDFMA is not a in a position to comment on the specific reasons why individual members’ applications were not renewed, as that is a private matter between each of those vendors and the market.”
In December 2017, the PDFMA board issued a special notice to its members that a meeting would be held in January 2018 proposing a motion to terminate the membership of the Group of Seven, on which all members would vote. The notice claims the seven vendors have exhibited “behaviour that is detrimental to the corporation” including “disruptive behaviour at the market”, “inappropriate and aggressive conduct towards individual vendors at the market”, and making “false and disparaging statements about the market and its operations, governance and members”.
The Group of Seven have been vocal about the issue of resellers — vendors who purchase wholesale fruits and vegetables from places such as the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto and then resell it at the market for a profit — and have criticized the market board for how it has handled the issue.
The PDFMA board has said the January 2018 meeting was required under the board’s by-laws after 16 vendors filed complaints about the aggressive behaviour and conduct of the Group of Seven at the market. No details of the allegations have been made public.
The four-hour meeting in January 2018 was closed to the public and media. According to the media release below, only one of the Group of Seven — Astrid Manske of Otonabee Apiary — heard the allegations against her and was allowed to defend herself. According to the media release, members voted not to evict her from the market, and the meeting was adjourned with no other allegations discussed or voting held.
The Peterborough Farmers’ Market is held on Saturdays at Morrow Park (beside the Peterborough Memorial Centre). There is an unrelated farmers’ market, the Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market, which is held on Wednesdays on Charlotte St. in downtown Peterborough. Some people have said they will visit the Wednesday market instead of the Saturday market to protest the eviction of the Group of Seven.
Media release from the Group of Seven
Local Farmers Removed from Local Farmers’ Market
May 2, 2018
Peterborough, ON
Stunned local farmers are wondering how they’ve been kicked out of the Peterborough Saturday Market after combined decades of providing their community with fresh local food.
In December, just days before Christmas, seven local vendors were given notice of a special meeting to determine whether or not they should be removed from the market.
The board claimed that 16 unnamed vendors had demanded this meeting. On January 8th the membership heard charges against one vendor, Astrid Manske of OtonaBee Apiary. She was allowed to defend herself, and after her defence, the market members voted to keep Astrid at the market.
The other accused vendors were not given an opportunity to defend themselves. The meeting was adjourned and all complaints from the anonymous 16 vendors against the remaining accused were withdrawn. With the complaints withdrawn, the remaining vendors felt a sense of relief that this battle was over and they could all get back to work.
So if the membership voted to keep the market whole, and the public spoke out against eviction of local farmers from farmers’ markets, why have “pink slips” actually been issued?
The answer can only rest with the PDMFA Board who have gone rogue over the wishes of the farmers’ market members. The eviction order was issued by the PDMFA Board.
The board of the PDMFA are Cindy Hope (Cross Wind Farms), President, Mark Jones (T&R Jones) Marketing Manager, Jill Staples (Staples Maple Syrup) and Jan Laurie (The Sprout house).
In the eviction notices issued by the PDFMA Board and delivered on Tuesday, the five remaining vendors all received the same letter citing vague allegations of harm to the market’s reputation generated through their “pink slip” campaign of last December. These were precisely the same bald (and unjustified) allegations that were put forward as the basis for the special meeting last December.
These local farmers never wanted this fight. They wanted a fairly-organized venue to sell their food. The market wasn’t organized fairly and they spoke up inside the organization. They spoke up for fairness, transparency and proper governance. They joined the board, they wrote letters, they shared their concerns. They followed the “proper channels”, but in doing this they were ostracized and targeted as trouble makers. The proper channels at the Saturday Peterborough Farmers’ Market are broken. There was no need to toss anyone off the market. The evicted vendors feel that there is room for re-sellers and a wide variety of local farmers at the Saturday market, but transparency and honesty are non-negotiable.
More information on how the public can help to save local farmers at farmers’ markets will be forthcoming.
Media release from Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association Board of Directors
May 2, 2018
The Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA) confirms that five vendors’ applications for market space were not renewed for the forthcoming year. The PDFMA is not a in a position to comment on the specific reasons why individual members’ applications were not renewed, as that is a private matter between each of those vendors and the market.
The PDFMA is committed to its mission, which is to ensure that vendors can maintain a smoothly run market in a spirit of mutual respect, all for the purpose of providing superior customer service and fostering a vibrant and positive atmosphere.
The opportunity to sells goods or produce at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market is a privilege. Every year, the PDFMA reviews the renewal applications for each vendor and assesses, among other factors, whether a vendor is in good standing with the market, as well as whether the applicant vendor understands, supports and promotes the market’s mission statement. To achieve its mission, it is of paramount importance that vendors work as a team and treat each other with respect, courtesy and fairness.
The decision not to renew a vendor’s application is a difficult one to make. The PDFMA understands that such a decision can have consequences for individual vendors, as it may have an impact on shoppers. For this reason, the PDFMA has taken the time to carefully review each application and to weigh each of them individually, so as to come to a decision that is in the best interest of the market community.”
Board of Directors
Peterborough District Farmers’ Market Association
This story has been updated to include a statement from the board of the Peterborough & District Farmers’ Market Association.
