Our first market last Sunday was a great success. Everyone with whom we spoke—customers, vendors, local merchants—had good things to say. It was outstanding to see many families, neighbors and friends hanging out, chatting, sampling some of their recently-purchased food. This validated our vision of a neighborhood-friendly enterprise that would serve as an additional focal point for the community. Even better that many of you walked to the market, which lowers our carbon footprint and preserves parking spaces for people who patron the Westover shops.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t improvements we can and will make to the market. Many of you made suggestions through our contact form and on Facebook, and directly to market staff and volunteers last week. We greatly appreciate this feedback and will be working over the next several markets to implement some of these ideas. You’ll notice some of these changes immediately, such as trash and recycling bins. Others will take some weeks.

Many people also asked about whether dogs are able to visit the market. As much as we strive to be all-inclusive (and we love dogs, too), unfortunately health regulations require that pets not be allowed in the market area. If you decide to bring your dog to the market, please secure it outside the market perimeter while you conduct your shopping.

Finally, farmers markets provide a unique opportunity for producers and consumers to meet and forge bonds – to expand the boundaries of our community. We hope that you’ll get to know our great vendors over the course of this and future market seasons. See you again on Sunday!