the calgary farmers market goes corporate
So I’ve been struggling with the many rumours I’ve been hearing over the last couple months about the future of the Calgary Farmers Market. As we all know by now, the market’s lease with Canada Lands ends in November of 2010 and the market has been searching for a new home. As I reported in back in February the new location is going to be in a large building just off Blackfoot Trail, North of Heritage.
That’s all fine and good. Buildings large enough to hold an operation like the Calgary Farmers Market are tough to come by. Not to mention the need for it to be centrally located, have ample parking, and the structure to handle the electrical, plumbing, and storage needs for it. So all of you who were so worried about losing the CFM as a food destination can rest at ease.
Here’s what’s really bothering me. I’ve been hearing rumours that the new landlords will only deal with a corporation and so the CFM is looking to incorporate. I had a discussion with Darrel, the market manager, last Friday and he confirmed a lot of my fears. One of the first phrases out of his mouth was that he did not want to lose his ‘market share’. According to the rules for Farmers Markets in Alberta, a market cannot be run by a for profit corporation (only a cooperative, NGO, or be sponsored) thus the CFM would no longer be a sanctioned Farmers Market. Now I’ve also heard a rumour that Alberta Agriculture may change those rules to allow for what CFM has planned. What scared me even more in my discussion with Darrel is he says they have exhausted all avenues and they have no choice but to go in the planned direction. His explanation will probably be enough for most of the people who frequent the market. It’s not enough for me.
Through my informal survey, I figure we all pay 20-30% more for the products we buy at CFM to cover the utilities of such a large building, advertising (have you seen the billboards?), management, extra staff for the 3-4 days the market is open, rent, etc. This means $30,000 to $40,000 a year for my businesses. For the average person it means $50 to $300 a year to have the privilege of purchasing food from the CFM. There is always talk about the high price of eating local and the CFM adds to that cost. What will happen when the CFM corporation starts running the show? Think these costs are going down? I feel pretty safe in saying that they will go up. We’re going to pay for the construction costs, the loans, the purchasing of shares, etc. through the food we buy.
A for profit corporation running our city’s largest Farmers Market! How can this be the only solution? Politicians have backed away from supporting the CFM to the point where the Mayor said they have a food mall, so what. And that’s what we are going to have too. A food mall disguised as a Farmers Market.
The question comes down to who ‘owns’ the CFM? The farmers? The people who support the farmers by buying the products they sell? The shareholders? For the most part, the public and the vendors have been kept in the dark and I think it is time for the discussion to begin in earnest. How are farmers markets going to figure into the daily lives of Calgarians? If we don’t have a say I can imagine a future of corporate owned markets duping the public into thinking they are supporting the future of agriculture while profiting on the backs of the farmer. Sounds a lot like the messed up food system we already have. More to come…
Posted in commentary
May 14th, 2009 at 6:42 am
The more I’ve been learning about the CFM, the less I’ve been wanted to go. But that bouncy castle is too much to resist.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:29 am
It bothers me, but are there alternatives? I need the CFM in order to eat local through the winter. I don’t know what I would do otherwise. For example, I don’t have the means to store my potaotes or carrots myself, but the farmers do. Without the CFM, I would have to probably convert space in my basement to a cold room for winter storage of root vegetables.
May 14th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Here’s a comment I received when I posted a link to this elsewhere:
Maybe this could be fixed by educating the landlord. According the site of the CFM, it already is a new generation co-operative – a farmer-owned, for-profit co-operative. This is allowed by Alberta Agriculture, as per the article. Maybe if the landlord understood that the CFM already is an incorporated co-operative (which is by definition a corporation), it would be settled with no further change – at least re: incorporation status – required.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:40 am
if people are concerned about the direction of the CFM, why not shop at Crossroads, Bearspaw, or other “traditional” farms markets?
or are these markets “for profit” operations too?
May 18th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
These other markets are non-profit and a part of how we access local food, but they are seasonal. (Crossroads is not a farmers market) A great city has a year round farmers market and CFM is the only one we have. There is a limited number of farmers who can operate year round so it is troubling to see their only option may be to continue with the CFM and the new development.
May 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
For a list of “traditional” farmers’ markets, go to http://www.sunnygirl.com
May 20th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Another avenue to go, only after making efforts to educate the new landlord, could be going to the media with the story. I believe that green issues are gaining a lot of attention in Calgary- this could be viewed as a major step back for the city, and the people who have power in the situation may reconsider their stances.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:25 am
What Calgary needs is a publicly funded (read City of Calgary) year round farmers market that works under Alberta Agriculture’s rules for certified Farmer’s Markets. The basic rules are that the market is run by a non profit organization, the products sold are only those locally produced, BC fruit should be classified as local, and sold by the producers themselves. The basic rules of “Make it, Bake it, or Grow it” should apply to everything sold at the market. CFM does not now and likely will not follow these rules in the future. I bought a bag of peppers at CFM a couple of months ago, assuming they were local and discovered they had product of Mexico stickers on them when I returned home. I could have bought these same peppers at Superstore for half the price. In season try to shop at the outdoor farmer’s markets and remember to ask the vendor, “Did you grow this and if not you, then who was the grower?” Buy from the farmers, not from the resellers.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I think it has always been the intent of certain people involved with CFM to figure out a way to gain financially from the Market. Whether it’s owning the building or owning shares I think it goes deeper than just a landlord issue. And, pushing the ‘green’ issue isn’t going to work either. Corporate Calgary and the local governments didn’t respond to the announcement of the market closure last summer (based on what CFM was proposing mind you).
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 am
My prediction is that the CFM will remain at the current location beyond it’s lease end.
Current economics may delay any development plans.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:18 am
That prediction may be a little far fetched since a lease until the end of November 2010 is in place with Canada Lands, and a lease at the new location has been approved. At some point they had to accept that they are not part of the Currie Barracks development and begin to develop a new location.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Then I am wrong. Of course.