Hamilton Farmers’ Market has ‘another difficult year,’ council hears

The Hamilton Farmers’ Market is asking the town for $242,000 to maintain it afloat throughout one other yr with the pandemic.

“In abstract, I'll simply say it has been one other troublesome yr for the farmers’ market,” board chair Elly Bowen advised councillors Thursday.

The 2022 finances request is $127,000 greater than the $115,000 the town supplied the York Boulevard landmark final yr.

However Bowen famous the market faces a giant finances gap with the lack of a $125,000 annual company sponsorship.

In the meantime, it’s not an “opportune” time to hike rental charges on distributors with site visitors “nowhere close to” what it was earlier than the pandemic hit in March 2020.

With common prospects working from house, the market is “lacking numerous folks” that used to drop by for lunch or cease by after work, Bowen mentioned.

In 2020, the market misplaced 10 distributors, however this yr solely shed three, with one leaving to retire, whereas 9 new distributors arrived, Bowen mentioned.

With $64,260 allotted to advertising, selling the 185-year-old establishment is vital to drive site visitors to distributors, she mentioned.

The market hopes to discover a tenant for a big area on the York Boulevard finish of the constructing that rents out for about $50,000 a yr, however there was “little or no curiosity in that.”

In earlier years, the market has relied on a $125,000 annual sponsorship by Meridian Credit score Union, however that has ended.

“Meridian deeply values the good five-year partnership we’ve had with the Hamilton Farmers’ Market,” district vice-president Sue Bennison advised The Spectator in an electronic mail.

“After cautious evaluation, Meridian made a troublesome determination that we are going to diversify our group help within the Hamilton group and proceed to accomplice and have interaction with different terrific organizations just like the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.”

Metropolis workers anticipate to report again on a governance and operations evaluation of the market subsequent month, actual property supervisor Ray Kessler advised councillors.

In the meantime, Mayor Fred Eisenberger mentioned he’d like council to think about a “visioning train” that examines the city-owned constructing’s place in downtown redevelopment.

Metropolis politicians will talk about the farmers’ market finances request additional with deliberations over the town’s total 2022 spending plan scheduled by March.