South County residents will soon have a new source for fresh, locally grown produce.

Ramona Garden Park in Grover Beach will be the site of a farmers market scheduled to launch from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17, and continue at that time every Sunday afternoon until the end of the season Oct. 26.

Next year, the market is expected to be open for the full season from June through October.

The market, approved Monday by a unanimous vote of the Grover Beach City Council, drew strong support from the audience as well as council members.

“I think this is such a marvelous idea,” said Sue Hartman, who lives adjacent to Ramona Garden Park. “When I see what goes on with the Stone Soup Festival (at the park) and see all the people who come back year after year ... I think it can't do anything but positive things for the city.”

Longtime resident Lois Hughes agreed.

“I would just like to thank you for doing this in my lifetime,” Hughes told the council. “A lot of us have grown gray waiting for this. Please, let's give it a shot and not talk it to death. Let's just do it and work out the problems later.”

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The market will be held in conjunction with the Parks and Recreation Department's Sizzlin' Summer Concert Series and will be co-sponsored by the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the market will offer other locally produced goods and crafts as well as live music on Sundays when the summer concerts are not presented.

It will be coordinated by Julie Andrews Scott, who has managed the Avila Beach Fish and Farmers Market for five years and this year launched the Shell Beach Farmers Market.

Scott will “piggyback” the Grover Beach market with the Avila and Shell Beach markets by using the vendors who sell there and advertising it to other vendors by word-of-mouth, said Kathy Petker, parks and recreation director.

Petker said 12 to 15 vendors have already given verbal commitments to join the Grover Beach market, which will use certified farmers selling from an L-shaped line of uniform canopies.

She said the market will have a number of benefits for the city, including providing quality products and services, increasing downtown foot traffic and improving economic development and residents' quality of life.

Until completion of the South County Transit Facility, which includes additional parking spaces, Rabobank has agreed to allow vendors to park in its nearby lot, Petker said.

Although the city sells hot dogs and hamburgers at the Ramona Garden Center during the summer concerts, Petker said food vendors will not sell competing foods.

The city is not expected to incur any direct costs from the market, as vendors are required to collect and haul out their own trash, but the council agreed to support the market by waiving the usual $41 and $46 vendors' booth fees.

August 6, 2008