If there’s one thing the three farmers’ markets in Prince Edward County can agree on it’s that they should be a reflection of the community — but as always, the devil is in the details. 

After operating the Wellington Farmers’ Market at The Eddie Hotel & Farm for years, Patricia McDermott, owner of Prince Edward Community Markets, announced in late March that she would step away. 

 “Strategically, I’ve decided that it kind of makes sense to run the larger provincial markets,” she said.

But part of the surprise decision was the challenge posed by there being two Saturday markets in Wellington, the result of a 2021 rift between McDermott and some of the vendors.

Ms. McDermott had held the lease to operate a farmers’ market in the Wellington United Church Parking lot. But a group of vendors decided to form a non-profit and lease the Church collectively as the Wellington Community Market. Ms. McDermott then took her Prince Edward County Markets operation to The Eddie. 

“I was forced out of the Church parking lot by a group of vendors who decided that I shouldn’t be allowed to run a farmers’ market, for whatever reason,” she says. “They started a farmers market on the same day at exactly the same time.”

“What was a very passionate project for me about supporting the local small businesses became a very big stress point.”

Dee Hazell, a Wellington Community Market Board member, said that while both markets discussed the possibility of reuniting, they came to an impasse. 

“We had a few meetings last year. Patricia was really gung ho,” said Ms. Hazell, but, ultimately, neither side wanted to relocate. 

“Both of us had commitments to the spaces that we were in,” she said.

At The Eddie

Michael Von Teichman, co-owner of The Eddie, said that while the news of Ms. McDermott’s departure was unexpected, he was excited to be taking over.

“Some vendors had already signed up. We already had our marketing material out,” he said. “It was a bit late in the season to not have a market.”

He and his partner, Alex Portman, are looking forward to welcoming more vendors and making the market part of the regular grocery run.

“We’re trying to be more flexible with how vendors can come to the market and sell at the market, so we’ve got more packages. It’s not just full season and occasional, we’ve got monthly and part-season vendors also.” 

“We’re trying to create a market with a really nice atmosphere, music and food and having a nice vegetable stand when you pull in.”

A new addition is fresh produce from Edwin County Farms, who until now sold only at the Picton Farmers’ Market.

“This last-minute thing left them in a bit of a lurch,” said Lucas Sorbara of Edwin County Farms, who also chairs the Picton Farmers’ Market board. “We’re trying to support them and support food security.”

The Picton Farmers’ Market had a banner season last year, but the non-profit farmers’ collective, formed in 2021, went through its own growing pains.

The grass roots group of busy farmers brought in an outside manager to handle the business side.

“Within two years it was clear we were operating at cross purposes,” said Mr. Sorbara. Last season, they created a non-profit and hired The Elmbrook Farm’s Marie Greatrix to handle day-to-day operations as they got off the ground. That was a winning move.

“Last year was tremendous. It really was demonstrably different than operating as simply a bunch of people who got together to fulfill the corporate priorities of an outside manager.”

Picton is now registered with Farmers’ Markets Ontario, which provides some financial support and other resources. To qualify, at least 51 percent of your vendors have to be grower producers.

Mr. Sorbara hopes Market Lane will become a pedestrian precinct parallel to Main Street, with vendors open all week during the summer months. 

“There’s really a sense of neighbours supporting neighbours in our collective creative endeavors,” he says.

That support extends to Wellington, too. Members of the Picton Market board have reached out to Wellington Community Market vendors to offer resources and support. 

Meanwhile, Ms. Hazell says the Community Market is only “going to be bigger and better this year.”

“We’re always trying to grow. This year we do have more vendors than last year. It seems every year we have more vendors who are interested in the market.”