April 14, 2015

The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is home to over 200 vendors of all different nationalities and backgrounds, selling a variety of unique products. Our vendors are farmers, artisans, bakers, and chefs who grow, produce and create what they sell.

We value all of our vendors and we have been working hard with them to create conditions within the Market that will allow everyone to succeed. We aim to create a space that works well for both vendors and customers, engaging with the community to create the best market experience.

As a result, we started reorganizing the Market layout almost a year ago when the majority of artisan vendors were moved to the Mezzanine level. This was to position the upper level as a destination for hand-crafted goods within the Market. It clustered similar products together, making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for. This also allowed for wider aisles on the lower level of the Market and created space for new farmers.

The next phase of the development and growth strategy is to move weekend-only prepared food vendors into a dedicated location on the Mezzanine level. This would create a prepared food area designed to attract customers looking to eat on-site. This new location will also improve the quality of utilities such as electricity and water for our prepared food vendors.

The goal of our proposed changes is to provide all our vendors with new opportunities to grow and succeed. However, it is clear to us that not all vendors like these proposed changes. We are working individually with our vendors to provide them with options.

We remain committed to working with our vendors throughout this process as we work toward creating a Market that is vibrant and sustainable for years to come.

Respectfully,

Julie Chaisson
Executive Director
Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market