One Wilmington City Councilman is calling for DNREC to keep a farmers market in the city running on its weekly schedule.
At-Large Councilman James Spadola wants DNREC to preserve the Brandywine Farmers Market at its Josephine Fountain location in Brandywine Park on a weekly schedule.
DNREC has proposed limiting the market to alternating weekends at the same location because of turf maintenance and parking concerns.
While an alternative location near the Jasper Crane Rose Garden has been offered, market organizers believe any shift would alter the character of the market, create confusion for customers and disrupt infrastructure built around the current site.
Spadola says organizers are willing to go the extra mile to keep the farmers market at the current location.
"Organizers - who are also volunteers - are willing to pay more. They're willing to do whatever it takes to keep the location in the same place weekly,” said Spadola. “So I'm hoping it'll get worked out, and I think we just need a little flexibility, a little more sharpening the pencil and we'll get it done. The farmer's market brought in 1.5 million in revenue last year. It's incredible, it's not just a farmer's market, it's a small business incubator."
More than 100 small businesses and local farms spent every Saturday at the Brandywine Farmers Market last year, and it contributed over $50,000 in fees to DNREC and the Brandywine Zoo.
He says this farmers market - like others - helps to bring the community together.
"There's businesses being grown there. There's connections being made. It's everything that I think you want in a city is happening at that farmer's market, and the farmer's markets all over the city. They're great breeding grounds for all sorts of community building activities," said Spadola.
Another argument against the bi-weekly schedule is that if there’s bad weather it would be four weeks between farmers market dates.
