Vendor sales plummet after city forces Placerville Farmers Market to new location
Changes on downtown Placerville's Main Street are making some merchants mad as the city is forcing some local farmers to move their weekly market.
The Placerville Farmers Market has been around for 15 years. It's known for selling locally grown produce along with goods like soap made with goat milk, coffee, and other craft items.
But this year, the farmers have been uprooted from the longtime spot where they had set up shop — right under the bell tower on Main Street.
"We were caught off guard," said Greg Henry of Full Moon Farms.
The weekly Wednesday night market has been forced by the city to move to a new spot on Main Street — a few blocks to the east — and many of these two dozen vendors say sales have plummeted.
"Right now, I'm down 20-25%," Henry said.
"We're probably down 30% in sales," said Greg Rockney of Rockney Farms.
Longtime customers complain it's no longer in the heart of the historic district.
"I liked the old place better because there was more variety, close walking distance," one customer said.
So why did the City of Placerville force the farmer's market to move?
"This market is really affecting many of the businesses downtown," said Jackie Neau, the Placerville vice mayor.
City leaders were getting complaints from owners of some brick-and-mortar shops that the farmer's market was taking up too much space on the street and driving away their customers.
"There are more than just a few businesses that are suffering from the farmer's market down there," Neau said. "I know because I walked and talked to the businesses."
"Everyone kind of turned on each other which I thought was absolutely absurd," Henry said.
Now these farmers are hoping their new location will grow in popularity.
"We're trying to be optimistic about it and we'll get back to where we were," Henry said. "It will just take us some time."
Placerville has approved a one-year contract with the farmers market, which will continue every Wednesday night through October. The farmers say they want to work with the city to get a permanent spot.