Peachtree Road Farmers Market
Peachtree Road Farmers Market
ATLANTA -- Farmers markets in the city of Atlanta are fighting to stay afloat in the face new fees and regulations.
For the first time ever, the city is cracking down, and now both sides are searching for some middle ground.
"We're definitely worried about added fees," said Darby Weaver of Sun Dog Farmers at Skip's Garden. "We could hardly pay the fees to be in this market that are pretty standard and normal."
Weaver is a first-year farmer and one of the newest vendors at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, the largest in the city.
"I just moved here from Vermont with a degree in sustainable agriculture," she said. "This is what we love. It's our livelihood."
Peachtree Road is one of five non-profit farmers markets in Atlanta that have operated for years with very little oversight.
But after a for-profit competitor complained a few weeks ago, the city began cracking down.
Peachtree Road now has to pay a fee of $250 and hire an off-duty police officer, which will cost an extra $5000 this year alone.
"In order to find that money, we've cut back on things," said market manager Lauren Carey. "We've also had increased support from the community because they don't want to see the fees passed on to their farmers, which in turns passes on to the consumer."
The director of the city's division of sustainability, Mandy Mahoney, recently sent out a letter expressing her support for farmers markets.
"The City remains committed to ensuring that farmers markets thrive and enhance the quality of life for our residents," she wrote.
Market managers are working with the city to develop a specific set of policies for farmers markets.