Our market does not fit the FMC definition of a ‘farmers market’ – this is not new, nor is it ‘an imposter posing to be the “real deal”’. We’ve always strived to, as you say – ‘call a spade a spade’. We’re the Redmond Saturday Market, not the Redmond Farmers Market, a distinction seemingly lost on Jester – aka hoel3301.

RSM was created over 35 years ago, as a corporation run by it’s own members. According to our by-laws, it’s purpose is “To create a ‘Public Market’ where farmers, gardeners, artists, craftspeople and food specialists may offer local wares, products and creations for sale.” We even define the different types of members that may belong, including Farmer Commission Vendors – ‘Those farmers who may purchase some of their products directly from the local grower and then offer the products for sale’. The purpose for this category is to encourage small farmers, who may not have enough product on their own, to participate in our market. Each member or our market submits an application each year, stating what products they are growing themselves, and what products they are ‘reselling’. With the exception of a couple of long time members, each vendor is limited less than 20% as ‘resell’ items.

A copy of the by-laws, along with our handbook, is distributed to each of our members, every year. It’s a shame that Jester has obviously never taken the time to read them. It’s also a shame that he has chosen to speak so poorly of our market manager, who is doing a tremendous job.

But I also disagree with every market manager insisting that the farm itself has to be present. As Brussel Sprout rightly says, many small farms do not have the time & resources to bounce from one market to the other. They should farm instead. So they hire help to sell, which is nothing bad, their product is still their product, but their margin takes a significant hit. After all, we wanted to save the Farmers, right?

I believe that Farmer’s Markets should exclude resellers, but should allow cooperation between farmers. Example: Four farms building one stand (better offering for consumer, too), taking turns in coming to market and selling. Or paying another person to sell for them – like a marketing cooperative of farmers. Many markets exclude this option and I think that is wrong. It shuts the small farms out of the opportunity to take their produce to market. And the small farms are most probably the ones most in need of being saved.

Thanks for your fine article.

As for the response from hoel3301 , let’s call him “Jester” for lack of a name – we wish he would find another market at which to sell, one perhaps that does not allow resale, because at RSM, we do allow it, it’s in our bi-laws that were written 35 years ago.

Further, we do not belong to WSFMA because we choose not to, we have a board of directors which govern our market and we choose to run our market ourselves, re-selling from other local farms included, Jester. We do not feel we need the help of an outside organization. We don’t consider it a “problem”, and we do consider WSFMA a fine organization.

We are not just a farmer market, we support our local artists every bit as much as the farmers at our market and that is why for 35 years we have been called the Redmond Saturday Market.

Please Jester, unburdened by knowledge as you appear to be, go sell at a market that does not allow reselling, you will be happier and so will RSM.

Martha Tyler, Manager
Redmond Satruday Market