Report to: General Committee Report
Date: 2009-04-20
SUBJECT: Farmers’
Market at the
PREPARED BY: Katie
Burns x 5283 and Victoria McGrath x 7516
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff
report entitled Farmers’ Market at the Civic Centre, dated April 20, 2009, be
received;
2)
And that,
as approved in the action plans for Building Markham’s Future Together, Council
endorse the operation of a weekday Farmers’ Market at the Civic Centre,
following the MyMarket Rules and Regulations, as outlined in this report;
3)
And that
the Farmer’s Market set up cost of $5,000 and promotion at a cost of $5,000 be
funded by account number 299-101-5399-8454;
4)
And that, Council
authorizes an exemption to the Noise By-law 2003-137, permitting amplified
sound from the market to
And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to
give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The action plans
within the Environmental strategic priority in Building Markham’s Future
Together identify the promotion of local food and food security as an important
area for the Town and includes the establishment of new farmers’ markets as
milestones.
Within this report, staff recommend a farmers’ market at the Markham Civic
Centre on Wednesdays from
The report discusses
the need for farmers’ markets, the recent growth of farmers’ markets within the
Greater Toronto Area, the challenges with markets, market feasibility,
sponsorship and partnerships, market location and market management. It
recommends that a MyMarket supported by the Town will meet the objectives of
Action Plan 5 under the Environmental strategic priority, while establishing a
viable weeknight farmers’ market at the Civic Centre.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of a weekday
farmers’ market at the Civic Centre using the MyMarket approach developed by Farmers’
Markets
BACKGROUND:
Building
In his inaugural
speech, the Mayor outlined a strategic framework for the upcoming term of
Council, including a
At its
Local Food and Food Security in Building
Within the Environment as a strategic priority, thirteen action plans
were approved including developing a
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
A MyMarket in
There are a number of important considerations when setting up a new
farmers’ market for success. The
following highlights the main considerations when starting a new farmers’
market based on research and the specific details of how a MyMarket farmers’
market addresses each of these considerations.
Market Feasibility:
The first step in
planning and establishing a farmers’ market is to consider its economic
feasibility. This involves two critical segments: consumers and producers. A
farmers’ market has four concerns regarding consumer preferences: good quality; adequate quantities;
reasonable prices; and conveniently located facilities. Research has shown that
assuring an adequate number of producers
as sellers at a farmers’ market is probably more important than evaluating
consumer numbers in planning the market. Five to ten producers providing a
variety of items over the entire local production season are all that are
needed to start a farmers’ market.
Other factors to
evaluate when considering market feasibility include:
-
Percentage
of population in and around community with gardens
-
Existence
of other nearby farmers’ markets
-
Existence
of nearby roadside stands and u-pick farms
-
Tastes and
preferences of consumers
-
Socio-economic
mix of consumers
Discussions with Farmers’ Markets
The potential customer base includes:
·
Civic
Centre staff
·
daycare
staff and parents
·
teachers
and parents from the High School
·
Markham
Theatre-goers
·
residents
in surrounding homes and condominiums
·
employees
in surrounding businesses, and
·
restaurants
seeking local produce
Sponsorship and Partnerships:
Many farmers’ markets
have been developed by local governments. This approach minimizes problems of
site location, funding, and zoning. Maintenance, staffing, and insuring can be
a part of regular governmental procedures.
MyMarket will provide
guidance and techniques on how to best garner support both within the
corporation and the community.
Suggestions provided thus far include contacting key groups and
individuals to gauge their level of interested and support and a public session
to crystallize support and form a Market Advisory Committee.
Location and Site Considerations:
In selecting a
location, it is more important to be near the majority of customers than to be
close to producers. Proximity should be measured in terms of convenience as
well as distance. Studies show that most customers will come from within a 25
km radius of the market. The typical customer will not drive a long distance to
reach the market, while sellers will travel much farther.
Farmers’ markets are
characterized by considerable foot and vehicular traffic. Paved or well-gravelled
drives and walkways are required for continuous operation over five or six
months. It is beneficial to have a site with well-drained, fast drying and flat
surfaces to allow vendors to easily display, load, and unload produce.
The facilities in an
ideal farmers’ market location would:
-
Provide
plenty of parking.
-
Provide
well-defined parking spots.
-
Provide
for orderly traffic flow around market.
-
Provide
shelter from rain and sun.
-
Provide a
telephone (possibly a pay phone).
-
Provide
restrooms (for sellers and buyers).
-
Provide
good lighting.
-
Provide
on-site or nearby storage.
-
If
possible, provide an on-site office.
The use of Town facilities for the farmers’ market is suggested in
BMFT’s Environmental Action Plan 5.
Meetings with
Market to be located outside the
Great Hall
The proposed permanent location would be outside of the Main Entrance
(outside the Great Hall) and around the fountain. A site map is included for the proposed
permanent site (see Appendix A – Site Map).
The surface is flat with paving stones allowing for easy set up and for
vendor trucks to drop off necessary supplies before parking in a designated
area off the paving stones. The Market
Manager will be directed on the necessary measures to protect the paving stones
from damage or staining. The area
provides adequate room for up to a dozen vendors. There are also phones, washrooms, nearby
parking, security, access to hydro, and on-site storage potential. The Civic
Centre also offers the possibility of a winter market in the Great Hall and
Lower Atrium.
A temporary location is required for a portion of the 2009 season due to
the scheduled replacement of the current pavers in front of the Civic
Centre. Construction is scheduled to
start in June or July 2009 and for the duration of construction the MyMarket
will relocate. The proposed temporary
location is in the northern section of the westernmost staff parking lot. This site provides adequate space, plenty of
parking, will accommodate an orderly flow of traffic around the market, will be
desirable to vendors who need to be able to park their trucks near their
stalls, and can be serviced by electricity as required by the vendors. A site map is included for the proposed temporary
site (see Appendix B – Temporary Site).
Periods of Operation:
MyMarket operates its farmers’ markets from the first week of June to
the last week of October. The MyMarket
would initially be open one day a week, which is currently proposed to be
Wednesday from
Town Responsibilities and Roles:
The Town’s
responsibilities for a MyMarket at the Civic Centre are summarized below.
-
Liaison with MyMarket: The
Sustainability Office will act as the point of contact for the MyMarket
manager.
-
Waste Management: The MyMarket will require 2-stream special
event bins for recycling and composting on-site for the use of customers
only. The vendors will be educated on
the Zero Waste Policy to ensure appropriate packaging and will be responsible
for their own waste removal.
Furthermore, vendors are responsible for ensuring the site is as clean
as they found it.
-
Site Preparation: Operations will set up barricades at the
beginning of each day that a market is scheduled and will remove the barriers
the following day. Operations will have
picnic tables located on the neighboring grass for the duration of the
MyMarket, June to October. Accessibility
parking will need to be available and indicated with temporary signage.
-
Canopy Approval: A permit will be required from Building
Standards for the weekly set up of the vendor’s canopies. Discussions are underway and the permit application
will be made by the Sustainability Office and
-
Service Requirements: The MyMarket will require access to
electricity for vendors requiring refrigeration. The number of vendors requiring an electrical
hookup is not yet determined.
-
Washrooms: The MyMarket will require access to the Civic Centre washrooms during
the hours of operation for the use of both vendors and customers. The hand washing facilities provided by
access to the Civic Centre washrooms are a requirement for safe food
handling.
-
Promotion: The Town’s communication resources will help to create awareness and
generate a customer base. The use of the
website, electronic boards, the Town page, and posters at Town facilities are
examples of the resources that will be required.
Agreement with FMO:
A formal agreement with FMO and the Town of
-
The Town should be named as an
additional insured on the policies of all parties involved in the market
(farmers/vendors, MyMarkets, FMO, etc.)
-
The farmers/vendors should have
a minimum of $2 million of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance which
must include product liability.
-
The agreement with FMO should
detail who is responsible for property damage to the Town facilities, and it is
not the responsibility of the Town.
-
The agreement should also
include a hold harmless clause, holding the Town harmless for the activities of
the market.
Market Management:
A Market Manager would
be hired and paid through
-
Ensure
orderly parking and setup by sellers
-
Maintain
order and cleanliness
-
Open and
close the market
-
Exercise
supervisory control
-
Support
the sellers
-
Assigning
stalls to vendors
-
Ensuring
canopies are properly secured at all time and comply with the permit
-
Liaise
with Town staff, with the main contact being in the Sustainability Office
The farmers’ market
could have a Market Advisory Committee to provide overall direction and policy
over time. The Committee should be composed of producers, consumers, Town
staff, community leaders, and other individuals who can lend support and skills
to managing the market. The involvement of the broader community on the
Committee increases the chances of success, since experience shows that markets
need to have a community focus.
Market Vendors:
MyMarket offers the
best option to have a market that supports
Additional conditions
set by the Town will apply to vendors and be enforced by the Manager. Vendors will be prohibited from selling
animals or keeping live animals, using propane, and selling raw milk or other
products that do not meet health regulations.
None of these prohibited activities currently occur at the other
MyMarket locations and therefore there are no anticipated concerns.
Supplies and Equipment:
Farmers’ markets may
furnish such items as tables, scales, tools, and waste containers to be used at
the market. The Market Manager would be assigned the responsibility for this.
With a MyMarket, farmers are responsible for their own canopy, tables
and chairs. The Town could provide its
own canopy and tables which could be used to promote the market and to allow
community groups the opportunity to promote their activities. The market manager would be responsible for
the set-up, take-down, and storage of these tables and canopies.
Market Appearance:
The MyMarket Rules and Regulations lay out clear expectations to the
vendors on how the farmers’ market will appear, with a focus on standard
canopies, consistent stall assignments, attractive displays, approved signage
and price cards, and maintenance of the farmers’ market site. (See sections 9 and 10 in Appendix C – Certified
Farmers’ Market Rules & Regulations - 2009).
MyMarket Promotion:
Recipes, free samples,
“Celebrity Chef” appearances, music, children’s activities, proper handling
guidelines, storage suggestions and utilization procedures all assist the
customer. A clientele of sellers can be developed by making it convenient to
sell in the market in terms of layout, times of operation, good facilities, and
parking and developing a faithful, growing customer group.
MyMarket will provide assistance in establishing a clientele of shoppers
and sellers. The MyMarket Rules and
Regulations require that vendors commit for the full season, a half season, or
one month depending on their products, which encourages relationships between
vendors and consumers.
The Civic Centre farmers’ market would be promoted both by MyMarket and
by the Town. The Sustainability Office,
in cooperation with Corporate Communications, would promote the farmers’ market
both internally and to the community, with a focus on the neighbourhoods and
employment lands surrounding the Civic Centre.
Methods for promotion include a mailout with other scheduled mailouts,
signage to direct customers and create awareness, and advertising through Town
resources such as email, electronic signs, newspaper, and billboards at Town
facilities. Staff discussions with
Chorney have highlighted the need to include advertising that is directed to
including diverse communities, through highlighting the range of products
available.
The Rise of Farmers’ Markets
Interest in local food and food security has significantly increased in
recent years. There are a number of
reasons for this surging interest, including: concerns over the carbon
footprint caused by food transportation and the ecological consequences of
large scale crop production; increased interest in local food such as the
growth of the slow food movement; interest in the viability of family farms and
local economies; a number of high profile food safety issues; rising food
prices; volatility in food transportation costs; increasing instances of
extreme weather and associated concerns regarding climate change; a rise in
obesity and other nutritional health concerns, and; accessibility to fresh and
healthy food.
In
In
Organizations and governments throughout
The Ontario Government announced in 2008 that it was investing $4
million over four years to help people buy food directly from
While there has been an explosion in the numbers of farmers’ markets in
2008 Discussions with Farmers’ Market
In the spring of 2008,
staff initiated a conversation with Robert Chorney, Executive Director of
Farmers’ Markets
Chorney advised waiting
until the following year to start a single farmers’ market and ensuring the
success of one farmers’ market before expanding to a second market. The MyMarket model was presented as a
possibility in 2009. Staff elected to
follow Chorney’s recommendations and conducted further research on farmers’
markets through the remainder of 2008 including understanding the logistics of
starting a new market, models of farmers’ markets, visiting various markets
within the
MyMarket Farmers’ Markets
MyMarket recruits the vendors for the farmers’ markets and offers a
verification program designed to help create a fair and level playing field for
MyMarket Background
During the summer of
2006 Farmers' Markets Ontario (
MyMarket Approach
The certified farmers’
market concept offers
MyMarket Criteria
The MyMarket concept
supports and nurtures the real farmer by facilitating access and a direct link
to the health-conscious, environmentally-aware consumer resulting in economic
prosperity for bona-fide farmers and producers (see Appendix E – Criteria
2009).
Who Can Apply as a “Certified
Local” Vendor?
All
All farms will be
inspected by an independent farm inspector, hired by
Farm Inspections &
Certification
All vendors who wish
to be “Certified Local” will be subject to farm inspections and certification.
These farm inspections will be conducted yearly and will form an integral part
of the application process and documentation.
Where a farm has
certification with an organization such as LFP (Local Food Plus), OCPP (Organic
Crop Producers & Processors of
Product Categories
Primary Products
Fresh/unprocessed
fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, plants and nuts; honey and maple syrup; shell
eggs; meat (fresh and frozen); fish (fresh and frozen); herbs; mushrooms.
Secondary Products
The secondary products
must meet the following three conditions:
-
The
“defining ingredient” must be from (produced on) the farmer’s own farm
-
The value
must be added from the farm (the case of meat products was discussed, where the
value might be added at a site off-the-farm)
-
The
product must be in compliance with all regulations and there must be evidence
of appropriate inspection (by health and/or other authorities). Unsafe or
illegal products will not be sold, such as raw milk.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)
Because the Civic
Centre pavers are being replaced during June, July and August 2009, the farmer’s
market will need to temporarily relocate to the parking lot during the
construction. This results in a need for temporary electric power for the
duration of the relocation. Temporary power will be established from the Civic
Centre. This will not be an ongoing cost for the farmers market. The estimated cost for electrical is
$5,000.00 for 2009.
Promoting and
communicating the farmers market in the form of advertising, signage, pamphlets
and other communication tools will be required annually. A better understanding
of the cost of these promotions will come from the first year in operation. The estimated cost of promotion for 2009 is
$5,000.00.
Funding in the amount
of $10,000.00 for the MyMarket Farmers’ market at the Civic Centre from by
account number 299-101-5399-8454 is available from the 2008 budget process to
support the Community Sustainability Plan.
HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
A new farmers’ market is a milestone under the Environmental Strategic
Priority, Action Plan 5.
Other Strategic Priority Alignments:
-
Environment
– A MyMarket will serve to support the Green Print, climate action, zero waste,
and beautification objectives.
-
Growth – A
MayMarket at the Civic Centre will be a service to match the pace of growth in
Markham Centre and help develop a more complete community.
-
Transportation/Transit
– A MyMarket at the Civic Centre is located on a transit corridor, with VIVA
and YRT service in close proximity.
-
Diversity
– A MyMarket will be located in an accessible site and provide accessibility
parking in addition to offering a variety of products appropriate for the
cultural diversity of surrounding neighbourhoods.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
All commissions were consulted in the areas affected.
RECOMMENDED
BY: ________________________ ________________________
John Livey,
Sustainability
Office
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix A – Permanent Site Map
Appendix B – Temporary
Site Map
Appendix C – Certified Farmers’ Market Rules and Regulations - 2009
Appendix D – Vendor Information & Agricultural Production Plan 2009
Appendix E – Criteria - 2009
Appendix F – Application to Sell at Bloor.Borden Location
Appendix G – Farmers’ Markets
Appendix H – Financial Template