New Fairview adopts ordinance to create farmers market

The Messenger
By Jillian Nachtigal 
June 21, 2023

The New Fairview city council adopted an ordinance to create a farmer’s market at their meeting Tuesday.

Various former and current city council members have expressed interest in starting a farmers market for the benefit of New Fairview residents and surrounding communities. The market will be held at the municipal complex, and a starting date has not yet been set. 

New Fairview is in what is referred to as a “food desert,” as the nearest grocery stores are located in Boyd, Justin or Decatur and residents have limited access to healthy and affordable foods. The farmers market would help to bridge that gap. 

In the citizen satisfaction story the city conducted last year, 61 percent of the respondents stated they would “always” or “sometimes” attend a farmers market. 

“We did have a work session discussion on May 1 regarding a farmers markets where I obtained information from the council on the types of vendors that you would like to participate, the time and duration you wanted, and the permitting process,” City Administrator John Cabrales said. “We’re one step closer now and we’re going to start working on getting it up and running.”

Under the ordinance and in accordance with state law, at least 80 percent of the vendors must be food item vendors whose products are locally produced, and no more than 20 percent of the vendors at a farmers market may operate with an inventory comprised of more than 20 percent locally produced non-agricultural products.

“We’re not limiting vendors to just one type of item,” Mayor John Taylor said. “You can sell homemade bars of soap and sell the watermelons you’re growing as well.”

Before approving the ordinance, the council decided to add an amendment that would allow the city administrator to cancel the event due to inclement weather or conflicts with other city events. 

Any interested applicant must pay a $50 filing fee. The permit fees collected by each vendor in the farmers market will go into the city’s general fund to help offset the operational costs.