Dear Readers of Greg’s Garden:
The garden is doing well, but nothing noteworthy to write about.
But, I do want to let you read an open letter that I wrote on my other agriculture site called News and Notes about the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
I have been using space here in addition to News and Notes to promote the farmers market for those of you who want to forgo the task of growing your vegetables and buy them locally from your neighbors. The letter was to make residents aware of my frustration with some aspects of the market. Below is the letter. I will have a regular newsletter on August 18th for your reading pleasure.
News and Notes “Open Letter “
An open letter to the residents of Vance, Warren, and Granville counties that attend the Vance County Regional Farmers Market:
Dear Residents:
I am the author of a web based bi-monthly newsletter called “Greg’s Garden” that has been published since this past February on the HomeinHenderson.com website. Since the newsletter started I have been trying to promote attendance at the market. I started by putting up constant reminders about when it was to open, where it is located, and what to expect at the market. I attended the opening day and followed up with pictures and articles about all of the vendors that were at the market. I attended the market’s advisory board meeting in June and offered to promote the market more often through news articles in the HomeinHenderson.com website that also runs my newsletter. These articles were to run twice a week, on each Tuesday and Friday, prior to the market days of Wednesday and Saturday. I also met twice with the market’s manager Tracy Madigan to obtain information to promote the market further by assisting in the development of a “Healthy Eating Day” at the market that would include local medical and social facilities to help attendees at the market with good healthy habits while learning more about obesity, diabetes, and heart health issues.
To date I have little to show for all my effort. Tracy has been promising to have me added to their email list since we first met this past May. I still do not receive regular information updates on attendance or on projects that could be promoted in my newsletter or in the weekly articles. She responds to my emails and phone calls for information with more promises of sending what I need but never completes the task. She was asked back in May to send a one paragraph letter on the Vance County Farmers Market letterhead to me to start to organize the health day and has been reminded at least twice in the past few weeks that we are still waiting for it. As of today, it has not been submitted so that the health day can be planned. Without the request of the market, health care officials and others who would likely want to participate cannot go forward.
In the Vance County Commissioners meeting on July 7th, she was asked the question by a commissioner as to where the “business plan” for the market was and how soon could it be presented to the board. She replied that it was being prepared but she did not have a timetable of its completion. The commissioners approved of a budget for the market of over $124,000.00 without the business plan to know how the outstanding expenditures would be repaid to the county. In the budget for 2014-2015 the market only claims to foresee revenue of $8,000.00 During Tracy Madigan’s presentation to the commissioners she states that she looks forward to making the market profitable but not how it is to be done.
Also, on the current link for the market on the county extension office website, the forms for vendor application, vendor guidelines, and rental guidelines for interested parties wanting to use the market building are available. But the form to actually apply to rent the market building, which is by far the most profitable for the market’s revenue stream, remains absent. We are now approaching school going back into session and the loss of any family reunions or get together that could have been a way for the market to make additional funds. All this because the lack of attention to what would appear to be the fundamental reason for the market. TO MAKE MONEY! When I asked about the lack of the form’s availability when I met with Tracy in July, I was told it was still being put together and would be available soon. How soon is anyone’s guess?
Now that you have a little bit of history on the market, let me sum up the reason for my frustration.
It is a common problem in Vance County that good ideas are started and then discarded due to the absence of attention. This market is a valuable tool for the communities it wants to serve. It has been a part of the landscape of Vance County for many years. But it is destined to go away like other good ideas if someone is not accountable for the lack of attention by the manager of this market. The advertising I was and am still offering is absolutely FREE. Let me repeat that. I will at no cost to the market, advertise its projects and offerings to the public through at least 10 articles per month on a frequently read website. But I can only do this if I have the cooperation of the management of the market.
If you want to see your market continue to offer an affordable option for healthy foods and local made crafts please comment on my post in the comment section below. I want to see this market grow to be something Vance County can be proud of, but also something that can stand alone on its own feet without the necessity of local tax dollars desperately needed in other areas of the county.
Thank you for your time and please comment below, the more of us to comment then the more likelihood that changes can be put into place for the eventual prosperity of the market for us as attendees and also for the vendors who wish to provide us with their vegetables and crafts.
Mari Miller,
Author of “Greg’s Garden” and “News and Notes about the Vance County Regional Farmers Market”
See you on August 18th!