Tentfire
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Joined: Nov 2009
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Karma: 0 |  | Ft. Gibson Farmers Market
« Thread Started on Jul 21, 2010, 1:42pm » | |
When I heard about the new Farmers Market opening up in Ft. Gibson, I was excited! I have a lot of complaints about the Muskogee Farmers Market and this one sounded like it would be a great one. But..... I was wrong.
I make a variety of natural soaps, skin creams and a few other daily necessity items, along with a cookbook I wrote. The Ft. Gibson Farmers Market sounded like it would be a great place to set up. So, before I invested in anything, I first checked to make sure that I could bring the type of products I make. The woman that I have been told is overseeing this market (Deno) said, "Sure, come on down. You can bring any of that here." She said that there was currently no charge to set up and to just come on down, pick a spot and set up. Wow .... sounded too good to be true - It was!!
I purchased a quality umbrella canopy and went the first weekend of July to set up. I did okay that first day and had a lot of interest in my products. Many voiced their hope that I would be there on a regular basis. The next week it was storming hard and I had a funeral to attend, so I missed. Then last week, it was just flat too hot! I overheated just trying to get ready to leave. But I prepared for the heat ahead of time and was looking forward to this Thursday. I purchased a new round of supplies to make some more product and I was really looking forward to my weekly set-ups at the Ft. Gibson Farmers Market.
Then last weekend, a friend of mine told me that when she asked about setting up, someone from the Chamber told her that now only Produce and Plants would be allowed. I emailed the Chamber to verify this and yes, they said that they are now only allowing Produce, Plants and Food items.  Yes, I am FURIOUS to say the least!!!!!
As with many people today, I don't have a single penny to spare. I scraped together every penny I possibly could to get started at this Farmers Market, pennies that needed to go somewhere else, but I knew that here, I would earn them back quickly. Now, I am out the money for that set-up and for product making supplies, and told I can't set up - AFTER I was excitedly told (and encouraged) that I COULD. This just isn't right! The Fort Gibson Chamber of Commerce and the Ft. Gibson Farmers Market put me into bad financial hurt with their game. 
So, if natural skin creams and soaps, along with other handmade items made in Oklahoma, aren't allowed at this market, I don't see why food items are allowed. Something seems awfully fishy and biased here. 
Under the current rules, I honestly don't see this Farmers Market making it. As far as I know, there is only one person set up there right now with produce, and with the way she treats people, no one else with produce will be setting up. At the moment, she has the 'market on produce' cornered there, and obviously plans to keep the monopoly. While I was there I mentioned that I had quite a few extra veggie bedding plants that I would like to bring. She firmly told me not to bother, that they weren't selling right now, and when they did, she had a green house full to bring. I said that I would bring them next time and give it a try anyway, I was tired of having to water them everyday. She got VERY irritated with me and was adamant about me NOT bringing them. I mentioned several veggie items that I hoped to have extra of soon and bring. She said NO, I have that, NO I have that, NO I have that .... and proceeded to tell me the large quantity she has, or has access to, and that she would be bringing said item(s). She gets pretty huffy and firm about it. Since it is said that she is the one to be overseeing everything on market days, obviously, everyone else, except her, is going to be discouraged to bring produce or plants. It's looking to me like this Farmers Market may have been designed simply as a free place for her to set up a business.
This woman, with the produce, can be nice, but she can also be EXTREMELY INTIMIDATING when something doesn't go her way. I was there with my soaps, including my Old-Fashioned Lye Soap. Somewhat irritatedly she mentioned that she also made lye soap, but did not have any with her that day. She said it a few times, giving me the feeling that she didn't want me bringing it when she brought hers. Difficulty of finding lye in this area was mentioned and she asked me where I got my lye. I quietly and politely told her that I didn't give out my suppliers. OH, MY GOSH, WAS THE VERBAL BEATING EVER ON!!!! She ranted, raved and screamed at me, flailing her arms madly!!! She went on and on, about how she DID make lye soap and she would find out where to get it and I may as well tell her, and on, and on, and on.... She even went so far as to accuse me of calling her a liar about her making lye soap. I had NO IDEA where that came from! I never, in any way, disputed that she made lye soap. She really ran me down. And the worst part of all of this was ... it was in front of customers!!!!! Even people driving past on the road could hear! (and see her angry physical rant directed at me) This type of behavior is not acceptable in any type of business! I was amused, though, when I started to pack up to leave and she asked if I would be back the next week. She ASSURED me that it was okay for me to bring my soaps, skin creams and cook books.
So, at the new Ft. Gibson Farmers Market, produce shipped in from any state is allowed to be sold there, but natural, Oklahoma made items ARE NOT. A vendor can purchase produce wholesale from anywhere-grown by any means with any kind of chemicals, hire help, and turn their space into a full scale business, but a local person making all of their own natural products can't sell their items there. I guess there is a lot to be said for the phrase, "It's all in who you know." You know, if a friend I ran into hadn't mentioned the change of rules for the farmers market, I would have never known. I would have loaded up and headed for the Ft. Gibson Farmers Market Thursday. NO ONE EVER contacted me, and the woman that is over seeing it all DID have a way of contacting me.
GREAT LOCAL PRODUCE - If you would like some REALLY GOOD local produce at really reasonable prices, please visit the following places:
1) Arnold's Produce in Muskogee on Shawnee Bypass - open daily for your convenience.
2) Okay Flea Market (just N. of Muskogee on Hwy 16) - great local grown produce found on Saturday mornings at exceptionally reasonable prices.
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