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A: Yes. Agricultural production is increasing in San Juan County. The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts a census every five years. In the most recent 2007 agricultural census, San Juan County’s total farm acreage increased 25% as compared to an approximate 2% decrease in both the State and the Nation. The number of farms in SJC increased almost 30% from 225 farms in 2002 to 291 farms in 2007 as compared with Washington State’s 9% increase and the nation’s 4% decrease.
The market value of San Juan County’s agricultural products sold in 2007 totaled over $3.6 million. Crops sales alone increased 47% from $1,146,000 in 2002 to $1,688,000 in 2007. Direct marketing sales (sold directly to individuals for human consumption – such as Farmers’ Market sales) were first recorded in 1997. San Juan County’s direct marketing sales increased 140% from $174,000 in 1997 to $418,000 in 2002, and increased again by 77% to $739,000 in 2007.
Both residents and visitors are becoming more aware of the value of San Juan County’s pastoral landscape and the value of local food production to community food security, environmental stewardship, and quality of life and health issues. Demand for the freshest and most nutritious local foods is increasing.
A: Currently, the San Juan Farmers’ Market takes place every Saturday, April through October, at the Courthouse parking lot. However, this location is not ideal because it is only available on a year-to-year basis and is only available on Saturdays. Most importantly, the Courthouse parking lot has no protection from the elements. Attendance is poor and sales are down in rainy weather. The winter farmers’ market does not have a secure location. Therefore, a year-round covered farmers’ market facility is needed to develop, promote, and expand the direct marketing of local farm products, and increase direct marketing revenue, which is essential to the sustainability of small farms.
The San Juan Farmers’ Market Association and supportive citizens have been actively working to create a permanent farmers’ market facility since 2004. Earlier efforts have included the Port of Friday Harbor, the Town of Friday Harbor, and the San Juan Island Grange. However, these earlier efforts did not result in successfully securing an appropriate location.
A: Successful farmers’ markets are located in the center of commerce. While the Fairgrounds location was identified as the third most feasible location in the Feasibility Study, it was determined that it was not ideal due to location and the lack of dedicated facilities for markets on specific days of each week. Furthermore, while the cost of development would be significantly less (given the fact that the property and existing infrastructure is already publically owned), the operating budget would not be sustainable given the fairground’s current rental fees as compared to the market’s current vendor stall fees or the vendor stall fees included in the Brickworks operating budget. While it will be a challenge to raise the necessary capital and start-up funds for the development of Brickworks on Nichols Street, it is more sustainable to raise one-time capital costs than to have on-going operating fundraising needs.
A: No. The Legislative intent of the State capital funding clearly requires that the funding be used to purchase the historic building for a farmers’ market facility.
A: A structural engineering analysis determined that the concrete block structure is essentially sound and further recommended several structural reinforcement and remodeling requirements to bring the building up to code. The project architect has estimated the cost of the phase one building remodel at $149,000. The Ag Guild’s current capital costs budget includes an additional 30% contingency for the building remodel costs (and a 10% contingency on all other capital costs). However, these costs do not include any savings that will be realized with volunteers. The Ag Guild will reduce construction costs through work parties on the building remodel as well as the outdoor site work.
A: Limited on-site parking has always been identified as a primary disadvantage of the 150 Nichols Street location. Plans are in process for a “veggie valet” (curb-side purchase drop-off/pick-up booth) and/or a shuttle bus to address this. All market vendors will be required to park outside the downtown core in appropriate long-term parking spaces and not in residential neighborhoods.
The Ag Guild will comply with Town code requirements in the development of the Nichols Street property, including on-site parking requirements. The Ag Guild is interested in assisting with efforts to address the parking needs of the downtown core in general. The development of Brickworks will provide Traditional Town Development with the creation of increased pedestrian access. In 2008, San Juan Farmers’ Market customers were asked how far they would be willing to park from the market location. Only 3.5% answered that they would want to park on site, 4% answered that they would be willing to park one block from the market, and over 68% answered that they would be willing to park three blocks or more from the market.
The 150 Nichols Street property currently provides long-term parking, and the development of Brickworks will displace these tenants. However, any development of this property would likely result in the loss of this long-term parking due to the economics of commercial development.
A: Yes. The public funding for the purchase of the 150 Nichols Street property and the purchase of the historic preservation and conservation easement is the only means by which the historic building will be preserved and remodeled and the greenspace and increased pedestrian access will be created in Friday Harbor’s downtown core. Private commercial development at today’s real estate and development costs does not allow for development that includes these public benefits.
Private businesses will benefit from the development of Brickworks at 150 Nichols Street. Brickworks will be a business incubator and will provide expanded product development and marketing opportunities to local farmers, seafood harvesters, artists, and food purveyors. Brickworks will provide economic benefits that are greater than any individual private business gains. In addition to the development’s historic preservation and creation of public greenspace, the benefits to private businesses will translate into public benefits such as increased sales tax, the retention and expansion of jobs, and economic development for the surrounding merchants. Brickworks will be a festive town center where residents and visitors alike can partake in economic and social activity.
h4. Q: Will property taxes continue to be paid on the 150 Nichols Street property?
A: The Ag Guild’s ownership of the 150 Nichols Street property will not take the property off the tax rolls. The Ag Guild intends to pay property taxes.
A: Washington State law exempts most grocery type food from retail sales tax. However, the law does not exempt all prepared foods. Sales tax will be generated at Brickworks from the sale of taxable prepared foods, non-food farm products, and arts and crafts.
A: In the Ag Guild’s current draft operating budget, Brickworks is conservatively estimated to be used in year one for a total of 47 market days and 12 event days, in year three for a total of 61 market days and 18 event days, and in year five for a total of 79 market days and 24 event days.
Every day, including those days that Brickworks is not in use as a market or by other community or tourism-related events, the facility will provide a greenspace, pedestrian access, heritage tourism and agtourism signage, benches, and other amenities in the downtown core.
A: Yes. While the development of a year-round farmers’ market facility has been a driving force in this project, this project also responds to community goals and needs for an arts & crafts market facility and a multi-purpose community and tourism-related events facility.
The Ag Guild will lease the Brickworks facility to the San Juan Farmers’ Market Association (SJFMA) for weekly Wednesday and Saturday farmers’ markets. The SJFMA has their own bylaws which also comply with the requirements for membership in the Washington State Farmers’ Market Association. The SJFMA bylaws identify limits to the number of arts & crafts vendors that can participate in each market, as compared with farm vendors and prepared food vendors. There are currently more artisans interested in participating than spaces available at the San Juan Farmers’ Market. Consequently, arts & crafts vendors must participate on a rotating basis. The Ag Guild has talked with local artisans and with arts & crafts market organizers (who have also provided in-put on the facility design process) and has identified interest in a regularly scheduled arts & crafts market at Brickworks.
The Ag Guild also has its own requirements for markets held at Brickworks. These include the requirements that the farm products sold are locally produced, that prepared foods include locally produced ingredients, and that arts & crafts are locally made. The Brickworks website will provide potential vendors with information about the various markets held at Brickworks, vendor application forms, and contact information for market managers.
A: Yes. Surveys have demonstrated that tourists do shop at the San Juan Farmers’ Market (July 2004 survey results include 40% tourists, June 2007 survey results include 44% tourists, and May 2008 survey results include 28% tourists).
While no specific documentation currently exists, vendors report anecdotally that boaters and vacation home renters are frequent tourist customers. The Port of Friday Harbor (in addition to the 45 live-aboard slips) had 14,324 guest boat-nights in 2008. Visiting boaters and vacation home renters enjoy shopping for farm fresh foods in addition to the prepared foods and arts and crafts available at the market.
A: San Juan County is one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the country, and agtourism and culinary tourism are increasingly a tourism destination criterion for those tourists San Juan County values most –- tourists who “leave only footprints,” tourists who come to experience and appreciate San Juan County.
Agtourism and culinary tourism are important tourism trends because visitors want an authentic experience in the Islands, which includes seeing how and where local products are grown—whether it be at a farm or farmers’ market—and tasting them via these venues or in local restaurants. Most of our Islands’ fine restaurants feature local foods on their menus because that is what their customers (both residents and tourists) demand.
A: The Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington’s website states, “Farmers’ markets are an integral part in the urban/farm linkage. They are businesses that contribute to local economic development and offer a tourism attraction.”
The Town of Friday Harbor contracts with the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau as its destination marketing organization. Agtourism and culinary tourism are two of the niches that the Visitors Bureau actively promotes. The Visitors Bureau’s October “Savor the San Juans – A Medley of Food, Art and Culture” will provide a perfect venue to showcase Brickworks and all its regularly scheduled and special events during the harvest season.
Brickworks will attract tourists year-round for a variety of special events as well as the regularly scheduled farmers’ markets and arts & crafts markets. Visitors are attracted to unique local products that they can bring home as mementoes or as gifts for friends and family. Brickworks will showcase the bounty of local agriculture and the culinary and artistic talent that this community has to offer.
A: In this economy, regional food systems have gained increased importance given their ability to successfully address economic development and community food security. The Local Food Economy Study demonstrates the significance of economic development in the local food economy through the benefits of local money circulation and the economic linkages that create a more diverse, resilient, and sustainable local economy. The study finds that for every $100 spent at a conventional grocery store, only $25 goes back into the local economy, while for every $100 spent at a farmers’ market, $62 goes back into the local economy, and $99 of that $100 stays in the state. Local food systems can even address global warming by reducing consumers’ carbon footprints.
A: No. Farmers’ market vendors will sell their own locally produced products: San Juan County farm raised vegetables, fruits, flowers, meats, and dairy products; seafood locally harvested and/or harvested by boats registered in San Juan County; locally prepared foods; and local, handmade arts and crafts. Markets held at Brickworks will not provide for re-sales or the sale of imports, and so will not compete with the Friday Harbor business owners who do.
Farmers’ markets actually benefit neighboring businesses. Dr. Kathleen Bubinas’ 2009 study “Feeding the Downtown: A Study of the Local Effects of Farmers’ Markets on Local Economies in Wisconsin” confirms that local farmers’ markets provide a substantial direct economic benefit in real dollars to their surrounding downtown areas. (A summary of this study is included in the article “Study shows how farmers markets help boost business” by Laura Walker of the Journal Sentinel, August 21, 2009.)
A 2009 study on farmers’ markets in the Canadian province of Ontario shows that an overwhelming majority of farmers’ market customers also patronize at least one other nearby store on their way to or from the market, with many visiting two or more stores in the same trip.
Links to additional studies include:
“Evaluating the Economic Impact of Farmers' Markets Using an Opportunity Cost Framework”:http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/45523/2/jaae-40-01-253.pdf
“Iowa Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study”:http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2005/markets_051005.htm
“Sticky Economy Evaluation Device: An Economic Measurement Tool for Public Markets”:http://www.marketumbrella.org/seed/seed_whatwhy.php
“Measuring the Impact of Public Markets and Farmers’ Markets on Local Economics”:http://www.pps.org/markets/info/markets_articles/economic_benefits_of_markets