Farmer's Market Meeting Today at 1 p.m.

An initiative to bring a weekly farmer's market to downtown is meant to supplement what's currently available, including J&F Farms in Derry, and Kittredge Farms produce stand, which brings produce from local farms to Derry every summer.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Calling all farm hands – well, actually, calling all farm market hands. Derry's newly formed Downtown Committee is hosting a meeting today at 1 p.m. in the third-floor training room of the municipal building. The purpose, said committee chair Mike Gendron, is creating a viable weekly farmer's market for the downtown area.

     “Primarily, we're looking for people who want to organize, because this will take a monumental effort,” Gendron said. “It will require a business plan and will have to be run like a business, so at this stage, we're not just looking for folks who want to set up a stand; we're looking at it organizationally.”  

     He said the committee has been taking notes on other successful farm market models, in particular, the Ithaca Farmer's Market, which brings area farmers and artisans together to sell produce, wine, flowers, clothing, pottery, and jewelry.

     Councilor's Janet Fairbanks and Brent Carney initially raised the idea of establishing a downtown farmer's market. Although Carney is not seeking reelection, Fairbanks is still engaged in the process and interested in seeing this idea become a reality this year.

     “We'd like to see it happen on Tuesday nights in the summer, in conjunction with the concert in the park series,” Fairbanks said.