Two resign from Janesville Farmers Market board
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IF YOU GO
What: Janesville Farmers Market Board of Directors meeting
When: 6:15 tonight
Where: ETN Conference Room in the Rock County Courthouse. Park in the lot behind the courthouse, enter through the back door and the meeting room is at the bottom of the stairs.
JANESVILLE — Two more Janesville Farmers Market board members have resigned.
Meanwhile, board Chairwoman Renee Dommershausen has invited any member of the public who wants to address the board to speak at tonight’s meeting. Dommershausen said residents would have three minutes to speak.
Jenny Skelly and Randy Thompson resigned Saturday and Monday, bringing to five the number of board members who have resigned in the last several months.
Thompson’s and Skelly’s resignations follow a Saturday report in the Gazette that generated an ongoing and lively community discussion.
Thompson said he resigned because he has volunteered for more than five years with the farmers market.
“It’s time for fresh ideas, fresh thoughts, and sometimes it’s just good to clean the slate, so to speak, and move forward,” Thompson said.
“The recent issues and unrest surrounding the market contributed to my decision to step aside and allow some fresh ideas and people to step forward and move the market hopefully in a positive direction.
“I still firmly believe the market is and has been a positive for the Janesville community,” he said.
Skelly could not be reached for comment.
The nine-member board is made up of five vendors and four community members.
In the Saturday article, Sheila Killion, who owns Cakes by Sheila, questioned a board practice that allows the market manager to set vendor quotas. Killion was turned away two years in a row.
Killion said she plans to attend tonight’s meeting.
Some residents interviewed in the article said the market must be managed to avoid having too much of one product, which could hurt vendor sales.
Others, though, said the board should let the market regulate itself, saying crowds would grow as the number of vendors increased. The Janesville Farmers Market allows only vendor-produced items, and board policy limits crafters to one-quarter of the booths. Written board policy, however, does not appear to limit approved products such as baked goods.
Market Manager Teri Huber said at an April board meeting that she has turned away several vendors, according to minutes of the meeting.
Merry Evans, a board member who recently resigned, said she was not aware of a quota until contacted by Killion. Some board members, such as Dommershausen, are aware of and agree with setting such quotas.
Three Janesville City Council members said Monday they were dismayed that vendors are turned away. One said he would not have recently waived the market’s permit fees if he had known.
The owner of Nature’s Touch Garden Center said he was so upset after being turned away from Janesville’s market last year that he is starting his own farmers market.
Todd Elrod said he was told last year the market was filled. When he asked to be put on a waiting list, the woman he talked to said she wanted to support Janesville businesses and Elrod’s business isn’t in city limits. Elrod was not sure whom he talked to. Nature’s Touch is located next to Harpo’s on Highway 11 west of Janesville.
Janesville Farmers Market written policies do not limit vendors to Janesville. The policies only require that products be grown and/or produced in Wisconsin.
Huber could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Elrod said he won’t step foot at the Janesville market.
Instead, he is starting his own Rock County farmers market on Sundays beginning July 11.
Elrod said he chose Sunday because he doesn’t want to hurt and compete with Janesville’s market.
May 14, 2010 at 4:14 p.m.
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I would love to see small neighborhood produce stands popping up all over town. Homegrown produce sold or shared with your neighbors is a very sustainable idea.
May 14, 2010 at 3:02 p.m.
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I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ALL THE FARMERS LIVED IN TOWN
May 14, 2010 at 11:34 a.m.
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We'll I hope the rumor is true about another market opening up. I feel sorry for people
taytot101. I spoke with a board member last night and the member tried to convince me that Teri was a honest and smart person( I was laughing the whole time). I would say good rule of thumb is when as many people have spoken out against her LACK OF Teri's abilities to manage anything(let alone a ant farm) and the fact that she has ties with Yuri R. This seems all suspect to me and I think maybe there need to be some investigation. I will not attending the market anymore as it sounds like others feel strongly too. Even though I live right up the hill from it. I will be making the journey to Beloit with my dogs tomorrow and for the remainder of the summer.
luvdasea2 I stated the same thing to one of the board members too. that was one of my complaints it only takes 3 mins literately to walk though the market then your done.
May 14, 2010 at 10:46 a.m.
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Lets have the Natures Touch guy take it over and still do it downtown but on SUNDAY!! That would be the best!! I enjoy it downtown.
May 14, 2010 at 10:44 a.m.
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I like the idea of the one on Sunday. I cannot go much to the one on Saturday because of my work day. I think you should still go and support those that are there. This is NOT their fault. I may visit the one in Beloit too and the one on Sunday. Hopefully they will get somebody in charge that knows something!
May 14, 2010 at 10:18 a.m.
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I never cared for the market in Janesville..I went once, and was disappointed in the lack of vendors. It took me all of about 3 minutes to walk through it.
May 14, 2010 at 8:48 a.m.
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taytot101: MMMM will you be at the market this weekend? I have been so hungry for your donuts.
May 14, 2010 at 7:17 a.m.
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Two years ago, my husband and I wanted to try the Janesville market for the month of May, we already sell at Beloit and thought we would try Janesville, before Beloit officially opened in June. We make mini donuts, made fresh, right at the market. When I talked to Teri gave me two excuses about why I could not come: 1) We don't like our product made here (even though I am licensed through the Rock County Health Department) and 2) We already have donut vendors. To me there is a big difference from getting a donut made the night before or a fresh hot donuts? She also told me she was worried about a fryer, well if any of you have been to Beloit market my fryer is much safer then the open flame of the kettle corn that is sold in Janesville. So I also was denied due to the bakery excuse. I will keep my business in Beloit, we do just fine there.
May 14, 2010 at 5:11 a.m.
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heh,.he what's all the stink about almost as bad when " W' stole the election wit his hangin chad's an Ms. Harris,, ya think,'you betcha'
May 13, 2010 at 10:16 p.m.
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OOOPs! I mean, July 11th! I guess I can't wait!
May 13, 2010 at 9:23 p.m.
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July 11th.
May 13, 2010 at 7:44 p.m.
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It's going to be out at Nature's Touch - on HWY 11 West, about 2 miles west of Jville.
Starts June 11th. They said on the news he already has 7 vendors!
May 13, 2010 at 6:31 p.m.
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where is the new market going to be???
May 13, 2010 at 6:02 p.m.
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Yes, the meeting is cancelled.
Per a news segment on WKOW-TV, Channel 27, Sheila Killion was interviewed about the whole situation. ALSO!!! Todd Elrod from Nature's Touch on HWY 11 West is going to start a new market, on Sundays, starting June 11th.
While the original market is floundering based on poor leadership and lack of board involvement, vendors who have been turned away can now apply to the new market.
May 13, 2010 at 5:36 p.m.
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This story is now about another person who got rejected by JFM. Whoever answered the phone told him that? Who else has been rejected by the farmers market, please come forward. The RV bakers are from Stoughton. Farmers live outside the city, I don't understand this. Brauns garden plants are from Jefferson.
May 13, 2010 at 5 p.m.
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Teri Huber could not be reached for comment for Marcia Nelesen's original story. She has not responded to Stan Milam of WCLO to appear on his show. She has not responded to numerous inquries from consumers.
Now tonights meeting is cancelled.
Prudent political procedure would be to come out, make your mea culpa's, take your lumps, and move forward. Hiding from the public is not going to resolve anything.
The 'bunker' mentality taken on by the JFM board and particularily Teri Huber would lead to the suspicion that there is more here than what we already know.
I have a feeling that in the days ahead this controversy is not going to be pretty.
May 13, 2010 at 4:42 p.m.
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So, is the meeting tonight still cancelled?
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