Saturday, October 20, 2012

Sustainable Saturday-The State of Uncertainty

Interesting mystery.  Where is our regional farmers market? Where is it hiding?  Where is the market that was supposed to revitalize our area?  And should I even hope for it, considering the bombshell recently dropped on our community garden? (more on that at the end of the post.)

It was supposed to be built in popular Otsiningo Park, near Binghamton, New York, where an outdoor farmers market becomes more and more popular each week. But our climate allows outdoor farmers markets only during the spring and summer. A farmers market in Ithaca, New York (about an hour from us) chugs along, on a reduced schedule, until Christmastime.  And last year, we did have an indoor winter market three times a month in downtown Binghamton.

This was supposed to be an indoor market, which would operate year round.  One of its inspirations was supposed to be the Western North Carolina Farmers Market in Asheville, NC.  I've been to that market, and the larger market in the North Carolina capital of Raleigh.

I was really looking forward to having our own indoor market, especially as we are winding up outdoor market season here in upstate NY.   An airy market with a roof on it.


Construction was supposed to start this summer.  Summer is gone.  We are into fall. 
No word in the newspapers.

No word on the Internet.

I talked to a vendor at the Otsiningo Farmers Market last Saturday.  She knew only there was supposed to be a ground breaking before the "end of fall", whatever that means.

And she brought us some bad news.  Right now, there is no winter home for the Farmers Market.  Last winter's site has been sold (again) and apparently the new owners aren't interested in having it.

They are looking into some other locations, but nothing definite yet.

Uncertain winter farmers market.  Uncertain indoor market.  And one more little thing....the rumor is, we are going to lose our Otsiningo community garden.  The ground may be taken for parking.  The head of our governing committee has confirmed this is a possibility.

Aaargh!
What a dilemma.  Should I support this market, knowing it may be the end of our community garden?

But for now, we just wait in a state of uncertainty.

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