Changes could be coming to the Larimer County Farmers' Market. Here's what we know.
Larimer County Farmers' Market could have a new home in Fort Collins come 2024.
During a Larimer County commissioners work session Wednesday, farmers market organizers presented draft plans for the farmers market's future — including two that would move the county’s farmers market to Colorado State University’s proposed Powerhouse II campus.
Here's what we learned about the three scenarios currently being considered.
The 'do nothing' option
The first option keeps the market at its current location in the county courthouse parking lot and foregoes the option to move the market all together.
A pro of this option is that it would keep the market in a central downtown location.
Larimer County Farmers' Market currently takes over the Larimer County courthouse parking lot on Saturdays, generally running from late May through October. The market boasts 131 vendors, including 60 new businesses, this year.
Move the market completely to Powerhouse II, but keep it largely the same
The second option moves the current market to the proposed Powerhouse II location on the northeast corner of East Vine Drive and North College Avenue. The move would take place in 2024 and includes a five-year plan for how the market can grow and continue to accommodate the needs of the community.
While this option would mean losing a central downtown location, however, the Powerhouse II space would be able to accommodate vendors with options like covered parking spaces as the market continues to grow steadily year over year.
“We won’t have to rely on things like available parking and good weather,” said Rachel Wildman, Larimer County Farmers' Market coordinator.
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Do Both
Finally, commissioners heard a third option, which is the preferred option for farmers market organizers, to keep the farmer’s market at its current downtown location and add a new market to the Powerhouse II location, expanding its offerings. Options for the new market include incorporating more vendors offering Colorado-made clothing, jewelry and goods as well as food trucks and prepared-food vendors. Other proposed ideas were a winter market or a bulk market for local restaurants.
Kerri Rollins, of Larimer County Extension, and Wildman also discussed the potential to build a community kitchen at the new facility where the market could host events like cooking classes and have an indoor space for a winter market.
Wildman said the community space would also help further the market’s efforts to engage Northern Colorado’s Latinx community. This includes more community events and services in both Spanish and English as well as adding more vendors from the Latinx community.
“We’re starting to build connections at the current market so there can be a smooth transition,” said Wildman, referencing a container gardening class the market hosted earlier this year, which was in both Spanish and English.
Head to the market:Your guide to farmers markets in Fort Collins, Loveland, Timnath, Wellington and Windsor
What happens next
The county is still in the early stages of considering the market's possible venue change.
The group will attend another work session with commissioners on July 25 with the Agricultural Advisory Board to discuss how Larimer County Farmers' Market and the Powerhouse II campus can support broader agricultural and food systems across the county.
“There are a lot of conversations happening around agriculture and food in the community,” Rollins said, “but no one is really working together to recognize the different pieces of the puzzle we’re all holding.”
Rollins said she hopes the session will help everyone involved get on the same page and make recommendations that will better serve the community.
Commissioners John Kefalas and Jody Shadduck-McNally along with newly appointed County Manager Lorenda Volker affirmed the group's next steps to hire a consultant to create a scope of work for the project and survey this year’s vendors for their feedback on the proposed transition. Once this is complete, Rollins said they will begin to engage with the Fort Collins community and get feedback from the public on how the market can better meet their needs.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Old Town Fort Collins farmers market: Larimer County eyes new location
