Farmer's market moves from Regency Mall to West Racine

BY MICHAEL BURKE
Journal Times

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:34 PM CDT

RACINE — The West Racine business district has successfully transplanted a farmer’s market to a block where development has failed to take root.

Starting Friday the twice-weekly farmer’s market previously held at Regency Mall will be held on the vacant south 3100 block of Washington Avenue. That is the block where the city of Racine acquired all the aging buildings, relocated the businesses, cleared the land and prayed for development that has not come.

The next-best idea the merchants of West Racine had was to hold a regular farmer’s market on the barren block. It turned out that the farmers will transfer their current market — 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Fridays — from the mall to West Racine.

"We’re thrilled to have it," said 13th District Alderman and West Racine businessman Jim Spangenberg, who landed the market.

"I didn’t really take them away from the mall," said Spangenberg, owner of Johnson’s Home Furnishings, 3219 Washington Ave. "I just thought they were doing Tuesdays; I was going to ask for Fridays."

Mall Manager Curt Pruitt voiced no hard feelings about the farmer’s moving to West Racine. "It really is not a large draw for us," he said. "We viewed it kind of as a community service.

"I wish them the best, and they will probably get a lot more traffic ... than they did here."

Luanne Gall, a Mount Pleasant farmer and farmer’s market manager, said it was an easy sell persuading farmers to set up their stands along Washington Avenue in West Racine. "Because of the location, yes," she said but added, "It’s always scary to move a business — let alone mid-season."

The farmer’s market has drifted from place to place over the years. At one time it was at Elmwood Plaza, then at Sam’s Club, and at the mall since 2001.

Gall said the market will start with six or seven vendors, and that number could be up to 10 in peak season. However, if it proves popular with farmers, others who sell at the larger Saturday Downtown market could easily climb aboard as well.

"I’m definitely going to spread the word about it at the Downtown market."

She said the main requirements for vendors are that they sell their own homegrown products, carry the required liability insurance and pay the

market fee.

"It’s not a flea market," Gall said.

The 3100 block of Washington Avenue is still available to the right developer, Spangenberg noted. But if it’s needed for development, the farmer’s market would stay in West Racine — just in some other spot, he said.

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