This week my husband Dan and I traveled over the mountain to collect our pork cuts from Brault's Custom Processing in Jay, then we headed downstate to pick up a fresh batch of piglets at a very small farm in North Clarendon. Pork is one of the meats we offer at farmer's market - only eight weeks to go.
This means that the time has come for the annual evening Burlington Farmer's Market members' meeting. We usually do not attend, given that it is normally discussion about policy - where, who, and how many new vendors can be admitted, or what new and exciting circumstances will get you thrown out of the organization. Town meeting-style. That sort of thing.
This particular meeting was important because of a proposal to reform the rows of vendors from the Vulcan salutation "Live long and prosper"-shape to a triangle affair that encompasses more square footage in the park.
This was exciting given that the additional frontage could mean expansion of the market by admitting new sellers, as well as creating opportunities for existing vendors to increase their visibility.
The so-called "displaced vendors" - of which we are one - would have to move from their current position inside one of the park's sidewalk-trimmed triangles to outside it. The new "floor plan" came as a solution to congestion on the College Street sidewalk; it would also entice customers who have avoided the market because they felt it was too crowded, to return. The proposal was voted in.
We've been in our current 12 1/2 ' by 10' space for three years, prior to that we were moved around the market "fingers" to fill in vacancies when more prominent vendors didn't show up. One season we were uprooted from our designated area because the park side buildings were under renovation, then again while the grass was growing back. We were even placed downwind and adjacent to the workmen's Port-O-Potty at one point. In spite of this, the market has been very good to us.
Under the new plan, everyone (even the un-displaced) loses their established position and takes a turn selecting a new spot based on how many years they've been in attendance. This will give the entire market a fresh new look and feel. The pick-a-sweet-spot meeting has yet to be warned.
This might not mean a major change for us since we are a bit low on the seniority pole; we will probably wind up twenty feet opposite of where we are now. Our hope is to gain a new place along St. Paul Street with adjacent parking for the truck because, well, we aren't getting any younger and hauling a booth, tent, and 8 - 18 coolers is a mighty chore for us -and by us, I mean Dan. I'm more of a small signs and chairs carrier; still, I don't want to haul stuff further into the park if I can avoid it.
We'll have to make adjustments, but it will be worth the growing pains if the overall farmers' market succeeds at bringing in more business.
