The Tale Of Dayton’sTwo Farmers’ Markets

DAYTON - If you noticed how some Touchet Valley store fronts this weekend carried two posters promoting a farmers' market in Dayton, you weren't alone and you weren't seeing double.

A town that has struggled to support one farmers' market now has two: the old Dayton Farmers Market and the new Dayton Saturday Market.

The good news, thanks to the Dayton City Council, is that you don't have to choose between them as a shopper. You can go to both at the same time and at the same place: downtown Dayton off Main Street. And, there will likely be twice as many vendors as last year.

Starting Saturday, some 20 merchants will set up their stalls on First between Dingles and the State Farm Agency from Main to the alley and be open for business 9 am to 2 pm.

The Dayton Farmers Market will still have its traditional Friday slot as well, 4 - 7 pm at the Seneca lawn, to which it says all vendors (and shoppers, of course) are welcome.

Coming 10AM Sat, June 25

The emergence of two separate groups appears to be a mixed blessing for the community.

It came out of a difference over policy between Jacci Wooten, the recently appointed and recently departed volunteer manager of the Dayton Farmers Market and its board, which is now chaired by Travis Richardson, a produce grower from outside Waitsburg.

Neither side wants to discuss the details for the record in an effort to stay on the high road. Suffice it to say they each had a different approach to organizing vendors.

During the two weeks Wooten, who was involved for many years in the farmers market in Moscow, Idaho, was the manager for the Dayton Farmers' Market, she obtained approval from the city for the Saturday morning closure of First Street.

But after she quit the Dayton Farmers' Market on June 7, Wooten asked for the use of First Street on behalf of vendors who said they wanted to be part of her new group, the Dayton Saturday Market.

"It's hard to accommodate two groups with different policies," said Wooten, who has signed up eight vendors to come downtown, including five new ones. "Consistency is what makes a market successful."

Arguing that they're dealing with public right of way, the Dayton City Council voted to make First Street available to both groups on June 25 and promised Wooten to get back to her about her request for exclusivity.

City clerk Trina Cole said the city now considers that a matter for legal review, while it hopes the groups can coordinate joint use of the designated First Street area until the council votes on it again, possibly at its next meeting on Monday, June 27.

"We take a neutral position," she said. "We just want to see it (farmers' market) flourish. We hope they can work out all the bugs and be successful."

Mayor Craig George agreed.

"We can't exclude either one of them," he said, hoping the two groups will merge again in the future. "I have asked each of them for copies of their bylaws."

George said the jury is still out about the effect of two markets on the community.

Cole and other observers said the existence of two groups strikes them as counterproductive with energy, funds and vendors split. The time and resources to promote the market(s) seems duplicative with separate ads and posters for each group.

But each group has already succeeded in attracting new merchants to Dayton for the farmers' market season, which runs through part of October.

"Our goal is to bring in new vendors," Richardson said, citing 10 who have signed up with Dayton Farmers' Market. He predicts a good turnout on Friday and Saturday.

Wooten said the Dayton Saturday Market group she's putting together will offer produce, fruit, art, greeting cards, bird houses, plants, food and other items.

Richardson's vendors will sell produce, baked goods, jellies, pickles, honey, crafts and yard art.

Although coordination between the groups for Saturday morning setup is awkward (they have yet to decide which tables will go on which side of First Street), Richardson said he hopes the two sides can overcome their differences with time and possibly merge again down the road.

"I hope we all come together again eventually," he said.