LYNNWOOD — Local fresh fruits, vegetables and more may be coming to Lynnwood’s city center by next spring as the city moves one step closer to initiating a weekday farmers market.
“We have heard a lot from the community and the (city) council that they are very interested in having a farmers market,” said Lynn Sordel, director of Lynnwood’s Parks, Recreation &Cultural Arts. “While it will certainly provide access to healthful food and be a community event that will bring people together, it is a key economic development piece. People will come to the market and perhaps go eat, visit the mall or buy gas.”
While the location has not been nailed down, the leading contender is Lynnwood Square, at the southwest corner of 44th Avenue West and 196th Street Southwest. Initial discussions have taken place between the city and the management group.
The initial cost to cover some of the groundwork to bring the farmers market to the city is $30,000. That would cover conducting focus groups, planning marketing and developing promotions. It would also include hiring a market manager to assemble vendors.
“The best markets have the best vendors,” Sordel said.
“We are aiming for a careful balance of food and craft vendors,” said Marielle Harrington, Lynnwood’s healthy communities coordinator. “Promoting fresh, nutritious regionally grown food is part of our healthy communities agenda.”
While the $30,000 seed money is included in the city’s upcoming budget, Sordel has placed it in as a decision packet for council’s approval. Projects that are not currently offered as services to residents are listed in a decision packet in the 2011 biennial budget. The city faces a potential $21 million gap between the services the city now provides and how much money is expected to come into to City Hall coffers.
“I am not putting all the eggs in the city’s basket,” Sordel said. “I am going to the public sector. This will be a nice thing for the community and partnerships may be the way to get things done. With the way the budget sits, we have to look at partnerships.”
Funding for the initial development work on the farmers market project came to Lynnwood through the Center for Disease Control. Lynnwood was awarded a $30,000 Action Communities for Health, Innovation and Environmental Change grant in 2009 to kick-start efforts geared at improving the community’s health. The city was one of just 10 cities nationwide to receive the funding.
The grant also funded a committee charged with working through the wide range of issues and crafting a business plan for the market. They evaluated everything from city codes to potential vendors and evaluated possible sites for the market that would have visibility and good access for customers. The committee included community residents and representatives from Edmonds Community College, the food bank, Stevens Hospital, Community Transit, senior citizen groups and city staff.
The draft business plan will be completed in September. Developing that plan is strategically imperative, according to Sordel.
“Markets have failed previously due to their location and organization,” he said. “A strong business plan is key to the success of the farmers market in Lynnwood.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
