Barre's farmers market is withering on its current vine, a narrow strip of sidewalk in front of LACE on Main Street, but preliminary discussions between the city, LACE, and the Vermont Foodbank are fertilizing hopes for a planned revival next season.

Organic vegetable farmer Alan LePage of Barre remembers when Barre's farmers market would turn away vendors from its home on the grass of City Hall Park, also known informally as the gazebo park. That was a few years ago, and LePage says the 26 spots available for vendors in the gazebo park would fill up fast and he would make usually make a profit on the weekly affair. LePage is the only farmer that still makes a weekly Wednesday appearance at the market.

Since its heyday in City Hall Park, the market has been re-planted three times. The market was yanked from City Hall Park when the park's renovation was imminent, re-planted in the parking lot of the Vermont Granite Museum of Barre, uprooted and plunked down on the lawn of Aldrich Public Library, and finally put in its current location on concrete in front of LACE.

LACE founder Ariel Zevon invited vendors to set up this spring in front of LACE, having obtained permits from the city. It seemed a natural match, with farmers who supplied LACE inside invited to sell their produce outside on the street. The season started in May with seven vendors taking up the offer, but that number soon dwindled, and LePage remains the only regular seller at the market.

"Some weeks, I ask myself why I'm even here, at all," said LePage, who remarks that while he loses money each Wednesday in front of LACE, he makes a tidy profit each Saturday at the bustling Montpelier Farmers Market on State Street.

The LACE location presents challenges for vendors, foremost of which may be the lack of space, visibility, and parking.

Zevon said she originally intended to have the market extend from the sidewalk onto Keith Avenue next to LACE, where city officials had granted her permission to close the avenue on Wednesdays. Zevon said not enough farmers signed up to justify the expansion.

Although Keith Avenue would provide more space, it has a narrow, alleyway-like appearance that is less than inviting and doesn't allow vehicles to easily load and unload produce while still allowing room for vending tables visible from Main Street. And, being on a weekday, the typically solid line of parked cars and trucks on Main Street tends to mask visibility of the sidewalk vendors in front of LACE and leaves the passing motorist wondering where convenient parking might be, even though parking is available in municipal lots behind both sides of Main Street's storefronts.

Zevon admits that better marketing might have helped the market, but she hasn't the time or resources to invest in marketing.

"It might help to have signs at each end of Main Street to advertise [the market], but I just don't have even one person who can do that…I'm too short-handed as it is," said Zevon.

LePage's brother, John, thinks the frequent moves the market has endured has hurt its viability. "For some of these small vendors, it's hard to be pushed around," said John LePage, who added that visibility and a consistent presence are important to bring in and keep customers of a weekly market.

Barre City Mayor Thomas Lauzon agrees and wants the city to do a better job finding a successful home for the farmers market.

"We messed it up," said Lauzon, "We were not good in our execution, and they [the farmer vendors] were not feeling our love."

The Granite Museum location suffered from not having downtown foot traffic and being inconvenient for those commuting home to points south of the city, and the library lawn was unpopular with almost everyone due to a shortage of available parking and parking conflicts.

"I need to change our approach [to the market]," said Lauzon. "We need to get an earlier jump on it, in terms of planning, and increase the visibility of our local farmers … that's important."

Lauzon said he has always favored City Hall Park as a location for the farmers market, but he also thinks the city's Currier Park could work, where there is plenty of easy parking and space for vendors on an inviting, grassy square dotted with shade trees. Currier Park has been a successful location for the city's Wednesday Summer Concert Series in the Park, relocated from City Hall Park. Lauzon thinks there might be a synergy possible between the concert series and the farmers market.

Lauzon has enlisted the help of Zevon, and new Vermont Foodbank Executive Director Doug O'Brien in brainstorming ideas for a revitalized Barre Farmers Market, and they are planning winter meetings with interested farmers to plan for next season.

Lauzon said he and O'Brien have had initial discussions on how the market might be used by the city and the Vermont Foodbank, located in Barre Town, to help bring affordable food to those in the Barre area on fixed income or on public assistance. Lauzon wouldn't provide details on that discussion due to their preliminary nature.

Judy Stermer, director of communications with the Vermont Foodbank confirmed that her organization is ready and eager to get involved in Barre's farmers market.

"It makes sense," said Stermer. "We're all about supporting local sources of food and helping make farmers market viable for local farmers. Our business is insuring healthy, nutritious food is available for low-income Vermonters, and we see the farmers market as yet another source of food."

The Vermont Foodbank recently was involved in an effort to have electronic debit cards accepted at farmers markets, helping those using public assistance funds through EBT cards shop at farmers markets. The Vermont Foodbank also has been expanding its partnership with farms such as Two Rivers Farm in Montpelier and has recently purchased Kingsbury Farm in Warren where food specifically bound for low-income Vermonters will be grown.

Stermer said the Vermont Foodbank wants to see Barre's farmers market reinvigorated with a collaboration between the Vermont Foodbank, LACE, the City of Barre, and farmers.

"Getting farmers involved from the beginning is important," said Stermer. "We want them to have a stake in what happens."

Barre's farmers market traditionally runs from May through October. Stermer is thinking a meeting between all parties interested in the future of Barre's farmers market could happen sometime before snow falls, and that the first meeting should produce an action plan for next year's market.

Meanwhile, the LePage brothers hang tough under the awning and on the concrete in front of LACE, dreaming of possibly returning next year to the lush lawn of City Hall Park.