After two years of attempts to open the first weekend farmers’ market in Northern Santa Barbara County, Nipomo produce vendor Christy Laschiver is losing her patience.
Laschiver, along with Nipomo farmer Varden Nonella, had planned to establish a farmers’ market in the parking lot of the Cool Hand Luke’s restaurant in Santa Maria, running Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The duo had designs on running the market as a nonprofit co-op called the “Santa Maria Marketplace,” a collaborative project with Marian Medical Center. They envisioned a system in which growers would pay a fee to sell their produce there, with all proceeds from the farmer’s commission going to benefit the hospital. In addition, Marian would run a booth to promote healthy eating in the community.
According to former Marian Foundation Executive Director Lynette Muscio, hospital staff was enthusiastic about the deal and supported Marian’s involvement in the market. In exchange, the Marian Foundation would’ve paid for the market’s $500 nonprofit status fee, essential to having the market certified by the California Department of Agriculture. The money would have eventually been repaid.
“We had an agreement,” Laschiver said. “We were under the impression that it was a completely done deal.”
However, Muscio abruptly resigned in early June to spend more time with her family. She was replaced with an interim director, Stephanie Grogan. Plans for the market fizzled out. When asked for comment, Grogan directed questions to Marian Medical Center spokeswoman Jessa Squellati, who confirmed the idea was no longer being discussed.
“Although we are so grateful for the farmers’ market’s interest in supporting Marian Medical Center, we were unable to enter into the terms of agreement that the marketplace leaders were proposing,” Squellati said. “As a private, not-for-profit corporation, there are guidelines that we, in partnering with community organizations, adhere to. Unfortunately, the terms of this farmers’ market did not meet our requirements, so we could not proceed with it.”
Squellati said the confusion over the market’s imminent opening stemmed from a “misunderstanding,” and that the proposal had been presented to an employee committee for discovery—not to the Marian Foundation’s board of directors.
Laschiver and Nonella have already faced difficulties in their efforts to get a weekend market off the ground. In 2010, they tried to open a Saturday market along with other local farmers in Orcutt, in the parking lot of Spencer’s Fresh Market. Santa Barbara County officials wanted a $4,000 permitting fee for that market, an amount Laschiver and the other farmers said they couldn’t afford. They petitioned county supervisors to waive the fee, but were denied.
After being turned down in Orcutt, Laschiver said her group gathered 200 signatures for a Saturday market in Santa Maria, garnering support from residents who work full time and can’t attend the city’s regular Wednesday afternoon market downtown. She said her main objective in organizing it was to ensure local farmers don’t have to travel far to sell their produce.
“These folks want to be able to earn their living in and around the Central Coast,” Laschiver said. “They’re living and working here, and they can’t sell here. It doesn’t make any sense.”
In pursuing a Saturday market, Nonella intends to duplicate the success of a similar market in Camarillo, which he was instrumental in starting. A Santa Maria native, Nonella said a weekend market here would allow growers like him to more easily get their products in the hands of local customers—and bring a sense of community to
the area.
“I’m a third- or fourth-generation farmer,” Nonella said. “I remember what Santa Maria and the downtown area used to be like. I kind of miss that.”
Though plans for a Santa Maria Marketplace appear to have been derailed for the moment, Nonella said he’s optimistic his group can get back into discussions with the hospital. Marian spokeswoman Squellati said hospital employees have maintained an interest in forming a farmers’ market on the premises and could seek to start one after construction of the new hospital wing is finished.
“We still are looking forward to possibly collaborating with these farmers’ market leaders in the future, if we ever are in the position where we can do an on-campus market here at Marian,” Squellati said. “We are leaving that door open.”
Laschiver said about 20 vendors had expressed interest in selling goods at the Saturday market. She noted that the group could still move forward without Marian’s participation if funds can be raised to pay for the cost of obtaining nonprofit status. She said she’s already spent about $1,600 on permits, insurance and banners—money she anticipates she won’t ever get back.
“It seems to blow up every time,” Laschiver said. “It doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It just means somehow we’re going to have to find out a creative way of coming up with it.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas can be contacted at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 23-30, 2011.
