Saskatoon city council voted to continue looking for new farmers’ market tenants.
Adithya Ramanchandran and Erika Quiring, the heads of the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Cooperative Ltd., the current occupants of the Riversdale location, addressed council during Monday’s meeting. They were asking to be allowed to remain where they’ve been for the past 12 years.
Council voted to prioritize increased “animation” for the site next year, effectively ruling against reinstating the co-op and continuing to refine what they would like in a new tenant.
“(This decision) will increase (the farmers’) anxiety and the feeling of uncertainty around whether or not they should order seeds and plant vegetable crops,” said Quiring, the executive director of the SFMCL.
The City of Saskatoon owns the location and did not renew the SFMCL’s lease for next year. The search for a new tenant was cancelled when city administration decided to fix the roof at the River Landing building. The motion that was passed at Monday’s meeting is a step towards reopening the contest.
The motion prioritizes increased activity. The current farmers’ market group only operates on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays and the motion specifies that it wants six days of activity a week, two of which are a farmers’ market.
The SFMCL told the council that they were unable to occupy the market six days a week because their members need time to prepare their products.
The SFMCL was also looking for a new location, potentially in the suburbs, but is now seeking to remain.
“We are the only entity capable of offering what the city wants,” said president Ramachandran.
“If there’s anything other than an authentic farmers’ market there on market days, it will detract from what’s being offered right now.”
Ramachandran said it is the only group that has the history and connection with the city’s residents. He also said a new market in the location would hurt the business of the current occupants.
They also said that the search for a new site has “consumed their resources.”
Ramanchandran and Quiring were looking to be involved in the process to find a new occupant and for financial support from the city to find and run a new location.
Above all, they wanted to reopen negotiations to continue their lease.
The lease expires at the end of this year.
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