Business & Tech
Caldwell Farmers' Market Ripe for a New Season
Fresh produce, breads and treats available on Fridays for 19 weeks.
The Caldwells Farmers' Market opened for another season Friday afternoon with a varied array of locally grown vegetables, fresh-baked artisan breads and biscotti and gourmet pickles.
The market, which will be held in the Smull Avenue municipal parking lot on Fridays for 19 weeks from 2 to 7 p.m., also features special perfume soaps and a seeding activity table, which has proved to be popular among children. For Friday's opening, live music was provided by Kenny Woods.
Doug Piazza, market manager and a Caldwell resident, was pleased with the crowd on the first day and enthusiastic for the upcoming season overall. In addition to overseeing the "business" end of things, he exudes a strong passion for bringing fresh food to the area as well with his experience stretching beyond just the market.
Find out what's happening in Caldwellsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"About two years ago, I started planting raised beds in my backyard," he said. "I have 45 tomato plants, peppers, broccoli, eggplants. I feed my whole block!"
Still, Piazza, a volunteer, does have to focus on the finer points of running the Farmers' Market.
Find out what's happening in Caldwellsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Borough of Caldwell's governing body adopted an ordinance Tuesday night to charge a permit fee for events held throughout the municipality.
The fee, charged per day of each event, is based on several factors, including the estimated crowd size. The cost ranges from $50 for a Tier I event, $100 for Tier II, $150 for Tier III and $250 for Tier IV. According to the governing body, an event like the annual street fair would be considered a Tier IV event.
Piazza is concerned about the new ordinance, since the Farmers' Market, which is sponsored by the Caldwell Downtown Alliance, would be charged a total of 19 times—a cost the group hadn't budgeted for since the ordinance was just instituted.
"I certainly don't want to offend anybody, but it's frustrating," he said.
"We certainly didn't budget for it here. It impacts what we're going to do with what little money we have."
According to Piazza, vendors contribute a small fee to participate in the market, but the money is earmarked for advertising items like fliers and banners.
"They [the borough] did work with us," he said, and the presence of the market is "to the benefit of the whole town."
For more on the market, check out the video.
