03 July 2011

Admit It You Screwed Up Now Fix It

Dear Findlay Market Managemment;

You have screwed up. You raised fees and many of your farmers have left and are now selling other places. I can think of at least 6 farmers that are not at the market this year.

A person should be able to go to your market at 1-2pm on a Saturday in July and find a farmer who has tomatoes, cucumbers and berries. But yesterday, they were all gone or sold out. Where is our apple guy? Instead you have new vendors selling wildflowers, socks and banana bread. Come on.

Admit it. You goofed. Time to backtrack and get those farmers back.

15 comments:

Angela D Newport KY said...

I was there yesterday amidst the hordes of NEW customers from across the river, families and the elderly. I was so happy that word of mouth to many groups has finally paid off. With the new additions of the Bellevue Farmer's market and the new one in Fort Thomas, I was more than thrilled to see so many familiar faces there for the FIRST time ever! Imagine my surprise and DISGUST when I was informed by a vendor that the owners of Findlay market INTEND to begin charging for parking soon! Once again GREED will rule and the progress made will be lost, perhaps never to return to this part of the city again!!!!

Mark Miller said...

I found them!

Now that the Hyde Park farmers market has moved to the square, we've been blessed with an even more abundant selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods than ever before. It's kind of a pain having to detour around by car, but well worth the hassle.

Even the hours are perfect. You can walk to church, have brunch at Echo, Poco, Arthurs, etc., have Graeter's for dessert, shop the market, and come home with a week's worth of deliciousness.

Too bad Mairose isn't around any more, meat's the only potential area for improvement.

Billy Wayne said...

I agree. One of the highlights of my week since I moved here was going to the market on Saturday mornings. You're right, it is becoming a flea market. Fewer farmers with fewer items available. Last year and the year before, plenty of specialty produce. Now just the same things you can get anywhere. Paying for parking would be the end of me.

VisuaLingual said...

It's kind of funny that you posted this today, and today another neighborhood blog has a post about "the bright future of Findlay Market." I love buying food at the market, but the other things really bug me. They make it more of a spectacle, or at least add nothing to the experience of food-shopping. In fact, I almost always go on weekdays to avoid the other stuff, even though I then miss out on the farmer's market part of it.

CityKin said...

The management better be working to solve this! Customers are NOT happy.

Jim Uber said...

Six years ago the market house was half full, and we all wrung our hands over the future demise of the entire market.

I guess things are never perfect, always changing.

Paying for parking SHOULD be implemented at the market. Why should land area around Findlay market be valueless? Maybe then people like Mark would become interested in things like a streetcar as an alternative to surface parking.

And CityKin, I hope your apple vendor shows up again in the fall. On the other hand it makes perfect sense he isn't there now.

CityKin said...

Jim;
The apple guy, Dennis shows on his blog that he too has moved to Bellevue. The Findlay management has screwed up royally. I really think they are losing focus on providing a FOOD market for the basin and changing to more of a tourist destination, and that is a big mistake.

Agree with you about the parking.

CityKin said...

One of the best things about Dennis us that he managed his orchard and storage in such a way that he had produce year-round. Him leaving is a terrible loss.

Mark Miller said...

^I have to disagree with both of you on parking.

It doesn't matter whether we're talking about a supermarket, pharmacy, hardware store, or dry cleaner; a merchant who charges for parking will always lose customers to cometitors who treat it as an overhead cost.

Like it or not, in the world of farmers markets, nobody charges for parking. If Findlay begins to, you will witness their next major screwup as motorists spend the extra 50 cents in gas to explore other options.

Jim Uber said...

CityKin, I agree that a vendor like Dennis is the type that you would love to have at Findlay. The only upside is that it's great there are getting to be more market options regionally.

Mark, of course you would disagree about the parking issue. As far as I know, you haven't supported a single idea that placed mass transit or dense urban development above your automobile, ever.

Which seems like a diversion from the topic, but I'd say that the lack of residential and alternative retail density around Findlay is at the heart of their worries about long term financial stability, leading them to (in their eyes) need to do things like raise fees to stay healthy. A greater focus on easy automobile access will only worsen this.

5chw4r7z said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
5chw4r7z said...

Parking is not an overhead cost, the parking at suburban malls is paid for by everyone whether they go to the mall or not.
Between $127 billion and $374 billion a year is spent nationally to subsidize off-street parking, as much as the U.S. spends on Medicare or national defense
http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu

Where is the outcry from the coasters on this waste of money?

dew said...

I'd be interested to hear what the increase was for farmers at Findlay. Two comments: getting to Findlay on a holiday weekend at 2pm is and always has been a gamble. I was there at 830am and it was insanely packed. The second comment: what other farmers market accepts food stamps? I feel there are quite a few positives of the Findlay farmers market and sometmes these advantages cost a bit more. Also - don't forget the Tuesday evening farmers market....esp when the crops are kickin.

Jim Uber said...

Dew that's a good point. I remember not long ago when Findlay was ONLY open on Saturdays (imagine that), and I always got bad farmer's market choices whenever I came in the afternoon.

@ 5chw4r7z, there are actually only 3 members of COAST. They are busy - give them a break ;-)

Anonymous said...

Just to let everyone know, I bit late, I know, but Dennis is most definitely at Findlay Market. I bought apples from him on Saturday!!