Farmers' Market Vote Postponed in St. Louis County

A vote on a proposed farmers' market bill has been postponed so the County Council can review changes proposed by Clayton's market manager.

The council has been in cooperation with market officials and the .

These changes are looming prior to the . See related article: 

In a letter dated March 23, Deb Henderson of the Clayton Farmer's Market wrote that the wording of the bill is problematic because it will:

• Require markets to get more liability insurance to protect their managers
• Prevent patrons from walking dogs at markets
• Restrict markets to operating only 120 days during a year
• Require markets to file for a new permit when a change in management occurs

Council members had been scheduled to give the measure final approval Tuesday. But members agreed to hold on voting to address Henderson's concerns.

Henderson recommended in the letter the bill be updated so the market—not the manager—is liable for any violations of health code.

Her other recommendations:

• Allow dogs, provided they are leashed; that they are not taken into stalls or booths; and that owners pick up and dispose of their waste.
• Allow markets to operate for one calendar year. That way, vendors can work multiple days each week and not worry about whether they've reached the 120-day cap, she said.
• Allow a market representative to sign the permit, as opposed to just the market manager, so that turnover doesn't cause problems.

Henderson said Wednesday she hopes the council will make the issue a priority.

Over the last year, she said, she has spent an average of 20 hours per week trying to update the county's farmers market legislation in cooperation with the county.

"Just a simple wording change will prevent problems later on," she said. "… It's a lot less work to finish it well now than it is to try to pick it up and amend something later."

It's her understanding the council will review her requests. If council members agree changes need to be made, it will work with the county's health and legal department to update the bill's language. Then the council again will vote on the measure.