Farmers get an early jump at market

Farmers will be able to set up an hour early|

With five weeks left in its 2016 season, Sonoma’s Tuesday night Farmers Market has received City approval to rearrange the market and allow farmers to start selling at 4:15 p.m.

This change will start today, Tuesday, Sept. 27, and is intended to give the farmers more time to sell their produce to market patrons before the rest of the market vendors begin selling at 5:15. Because the market takes place in the paved areas around City Hall, and City Hall must remain open for business until 5 p.m., allowing the farmers to set up and start selling by 4:15 will necessitate relocating the farmers from where they have been all year directly in front of City Hall to the areas behind and to the sides of City Hall.

VOMCFM board President Bill Dardon said he hopes the change will accomplish two things - allowing the farmers more daylight hours during the shorter fall days to make their sales, and allowing community members to easier access the farmers and buy their produce before the rest of the market gets underway.

“We got input from some members of the community that the crowds and festive atmosphere of the market makes it difficult to just buy your weekly produce,” Dardon said. “With this change, someone who just wants to quickly shop and buy produce and then go home will have an hour between 4:15 and 5:15 to do that. By 5:15, the rest of the market and food purveyors will be up and running and it will look just like our regular Tuesday nights.

The Tuesday Farmers Market has been in existence for more than 20 years, with Valley of the Moon Certified Farmers Market assuming management responsibilities in 2011. The 2016 Tuesday Night Market continues every week through Oct. 25.

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