Farmers Market in Six Mile's Future?

Officials in Six Mile are exploring a project that aims at bringing visitors to downtown while giving new life to the town’s former fire station.

Councilman James Atkinson hopes to start a farmers market, to be located at the old fire station on Main Street.

Council voted on the proposal Tuesday night during their February meeting.

Atkinson hopes the farmers market will “get something started” in downtown Six Mile.

“You see towns all around us doing these farmers markets,” he said. “Easley does one, Pendleton does one, Clemson does one at Patrick Square.”

Atkinson said he hopes the farmers market, once up and running, will spur other activities and events in the town.

“It’ll bring some folks down here,” he said.

He said he wants the market to be “strictly a farmers market.”

“We have some very defined guidelines,” Atkinson said.

He’s drafted a draft contract/registration form for vendors, he said.

“The gist of it is making sure … that this is truly a farmers market,” Atkinson said. “We don’t want to be a flea market, that’s not the purpose of it. We don’t want people coming in here to resell produce. We want people coming here who actually produce these things within a 100-mile radius.”

The fire station will allow the town to have a farmers market, “rain or shine.”

Atkinson said the town could line off spaces for vendors inside the fire station.

“We figure we could contain inside the building about 30 vendors,” he said. “There’s really not a whole lot else we’d have to do.” 

He suggested letting the town’s insurance carrier, and perhaps legal counsel, look at the proposed guidelines/vendor contract.

“I think a market could become our town square, where citizens could go, hold conversations, meet and greet neighbors and friends,” said Mayor Roy Stoddard. “It could go into having chef demos, we could have kids activities, food drives, you name it.”    

Zoning Administrator Woodrow Kelley has volunteered to help council research the possibility of a town farmers market.

Councilman David Yongue asked if the town could obtain a list of area farmers.

The mayor said the Department of Agriculture, through its Certified South Carolina program, could provide the town with a list of certified farmers in the area.

Stoddard said officials “would check people out” before signing off on their registrations.

Atkinson and Stoddard recently met with an official with the Department of Agriculture to discuss the project. 

Stoddard said he didn’t believe the project would require significant investment of funds, “just investment of our time.”

“There doesn’t appear to be much capitol investment involved,”  Atkinson said.

He said many people visit multiple farmers markets during the week.

“They make a trek,” Atkinson said. “What you’re trying to do is make Six Mile a part of their trek.”

The ordinance to explore establishing a farmers market passed 4-0 with Councilman Aaron Smith absent.

“Hopefully it’s something that will be successful,” Atkinson said.