The Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market (BWFM) is excited to announce that the market will open its 13th season on November 3rd, 2018 in their new home, the Church Building at 80 Flat Street.

The move from the River Garden on Main St. is the culmination of two years work by the Steering Committee and the Market Manager to secure a dedicated site that would meet the need for more space and more accessible parking in a downtown Brattleboro location.

As Sherry Maher, Market Manager, notes, “ the River Garden was the perfect home for our first decade and we leave there reluctantly. However, as the vendor and customer base expanded, the market outgrew the physical space, crowding out customers with young children or mobility issues, limiting vendors options and the market’s ability grow and serve the community as the primary source for local products in the fall and winter.”

The decision to move was based on extensive feedback from customers and input from vendors over a six- month long feasibility study that was funded by a USDA grant and guided by Kitchen Table Consultants, specialists in working with local food systems. As a result of this process, BWFM is confident that the Church Building provides the resources and the space to bring the market to a new level and better support community access to local food.

Input from both vendors and customers was gathered throughout the process. Steering Committee member, Janice Baldwin, representing the customer perspective, acknowledges the “challenge of moving” but believes that “customers, both old and new, will be drawn to the spacious, convenient location. “ The Church Building offers considerably more space for both vendors and customers, is fully handicap accessible, and offers free parking in the adjacent lot. The market will be a short walk to the Brattleboro Co-op, Dottie’s, NEYT, Senior Housing. It is still a comfortable distance for customers who walk or bike to market and only a block from Main St. allowing for easy access from several directions.

The market plans an extensive publicity campaign to build awareness of the new location and update customers as the market space takes shape.

Though the location will be new, the schedule will be the same: Saturdays from November through March 10:00 am-2:00 pm.

The BWFM is a project of Post Oil Solutions,an equal opportunity, grassroots community sustainability nonprofit organization in SE Vermont. This work has been supported by a USDA Rural Business Development Grant.

For additional information, contact Sherry Maher, Market Manager at 802-869-2141 or farmersmarket@postoilsolutions.org.

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Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market on the Move