A18
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Farmers Market fi nds a new home
Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
After the Thursday, April
4, Joseph City Council meet-
ing, the Wallowa County
Farmers Market found itself
adrift, cut from its moorings
at Joseph Avenue after nearly
a decade at the spot.
Market manager Emily
Aumann and president
Nathan Slinker didn’t have
time to pout. With only six
weeks or so until market
opening, they had to fi nd
a new location and get the
word out. The sudden deci-
sion by the city council came
long after the market had
paid for print advertising in
a variety of publications that
gave the Joseph Avenue loca-
tion as its address.
The city did not offer to
compensate the market for
the troubles. Not only that,
the city also threatened to
take transient fees from the
market, something it declined
to do in the past. The coun-
cil voted in 2017 to perma-
nently wave all transient
fees for the market. During
a recent trip to city hall to
get a copy of the ordinance
regulating transient/vendor
fees, Aumann discovered she
would have to pay for them.
When she asked for elec-
tronic copies, the clerk told
her the price would increase
over the paper copies.
Knowing the market had
to move, Slinker and Aumann
went to work, eventually
striking a deal with Stein’s
Distillery to use its private
parking lot as the new mar-
ket site. Slinker explained
that over the course of last
summer several of the ven-
dors had approached him
about using the Stein’s site.
After the April meeting, the
market board began to dis-
cuss options, which included
Stein’s. The board decided to
contact him.
“He was great,” Slinker
said of distillery owner Dan
Stein. “He was really sup-
portive and said he’d love
Nathan Slinker
Emily Aumann
IF YOU GO
WHERE: Stein’s Distillery parking lot; ; local parking available
WHEN: Opens May 2
to have us down there and
Regardless of the claims
offered the use of utilities. of the city, the market
I felt like, when I talked to received virtually no notice
him, that he would go the on the relocation. When
extra mile to provide things the Chieftain got its coun-
the market would need, cil agenda about two days
which we appreciate.”
before the meeting, it called
Aumann said that with the market to get a comment
Photos by Steve Tool/Chieftain
the abrupt move, a number on relocation and took the
Dan Stein of Stein’s Distillery off ered the Wallowa County Farmers Market a new home in his
of details needed attention. market by surprise.
For example, the market is
“It wasn’t what we were parking lot after the Joseph City Council ousted the market from its previous location on
looking for a place to store expecting,” Slinker said. Joseph Avenue.
its trailer that holds market According to Aumann, board
materials.
member Kelsey Juve had the unexpected recipient of a weekend. Aumann noted that year about using his parking
“That’s not something we put in a request to the city to broad swath of community a lot of prioritizing started lot, and he readily agreed.
did in the past, because we appear on the agenda for the support and offers of new happening because of the He added that Slinker had
had a working relationship yearly street closure request. locations.
market’s limited time and recently called to confi rm the
offer. After measuring the lot,
with the Baptist Church,” Juve heard nothing for some
“We had a lot of busi- resources.
Aumann
said.
“All the stuff it was agreed that it would fi t
She also noted
we’d have nor- about 15 vendors with some
she would have
mally done in local parking available.
‘WE HAVE A LOT OF VENDORS APPLYING
“They’re easy to work
to reorganize a
three
months,
AND A LOT OF VENDORS THAT ARE
new booth layout
basically, we’re with, and I’ve known a lot
for the vendors at
doing in three of them for years,” he said.
EXCITED TO BE IN A NEW SPOT.
the new site. “It’s
weeks,” Slinker “They’ll be another draw to
just a new space
said. “But we’ll businesses down here; even
WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING
with new confi g-
get it all done. We if it’s only a few a day, it’ll
AND MOVING IN A NEW DIRECTION.’
urations and new
have a lot of ven- make a difference.”
Despite the rocky road
dimensions and
dors applying and
Market president Nathan Slinker
trying to orga-
a lot of vendors to its new Stein’s Distill-
nize a good fl ow
that are excited to ery location, Aumann and
of customers and
be in a new spot. Slinker are still trying to
highlight the produce ven- time and called to see if the nesses and people who live in We’re looking forward to forge a working relationship
dors, fi nd an electric source market was on the agenda Joseph saying, ‘We’d love to starting and moving in a new with the city.
“We’d like to have a pro-
for the musicians, where and was told yes without have you,’ so that was nice,” direction.”
vendors can park their vehi- elaborating that the mar- Slinker said.
Dan Stein, co-owner ductive relationship with the
cles if they need to park close ket was on the agenda for an
Because of the short of Stein’s said he happily city,” Slinker said. “We’re
to their booth and where to entirely different reason than notice on the move, the mar- offered the market a spot in still going to be in the city,
park so they’re not in the cus- the initial request.
ket is successfully scram- his parking lot. Stein said and we’d like to have the
tomer’s way — those are the
After the meeting bomb- bling to get its ducks in a row that a couple of vendors support of the city and the
main things.”
shell, the market found itself before its May 25 opening had approached him last council.”
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