Press "Enter" to skip to content

No changes to Farmers Market

Tuesday nights on the Plaza will remain “a small market for a small town.” That’s the vision endorsed by the city council in a 3-2 vote to retain the current Farmers Market management team.

The Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market, which has operated the event for nearly 20 years, was awarded a one-year contract to begin with the season’s first event on April 6.

“We have a fantastic market,” said Councilmember August Sebastiani. “I don’t want to be known as the city council that killed it.”

Mayor Steve Barbose and Councilmember Joanne Sanders joined him in a majority that opted for stability and experience over change and marketing savvy.

“It’s a small market for a small town,” said Jim Cahoon, SVCFM chair.

The other contender, a three-person group named Fair Bounty, proposed a festival approach to Tuesday evenings, enlarging the market in size and scope. To detractors, that ambitious model proved to be too commercial and urbanized.

Councilmember Joanne Sanders questioned the Fair Bounty business plan that, with increased stall fees, would double the current number of 40 vendors. If projected revenue fell short, “the city might be on the hook to make up the gap,” she said.

Councilmember Ken Brown emphatically opposed the choice, describing the group as autocratic, secretive and resistant to city and community input. “You rent space from the city of Sonoma. It’s not your market, it’s everybody’s market,” Brown said.

Even council members who voted for the SVCFM expressed a concern over the group’s historic lack of accountability, but seemed satisfied by its pledge to become more transparent.

Brown disagreed. “It’s Pollyanna-ish to believe that management is going to change its ways,” he said.

After approving the choice, the council added provisions to the agreement including instituting a comprehensive garbage and recycling plan, bringing the market to the north side of City Hall, and seeking out more prepared food vendors, particularly those offering healthy choices. It also called a representative from the city’s Community Services and Environment Commission to act as liaison to the SVCFM board.

Cahoon said he agreed in principal to the stipulations, which will be codified by city staff in advance of a formal contract.