By Kathleen BergerRecord Staff WriterIt’s been four years since the farmers’ market at the Warren County Fairgrounds pulled up stakes and moved to Wright City due, in part, to a dispute over the city of Warrenton’s application of a state sales tax law.The message from some Warrenton officials today is let’s try again.The reorganization of the Warrenton Downtown Market could provide an opportunity for a return of the operator of the former farmers‘ market.Warrenton’s new Recreation Director Dottie Phillips is exploring that possibility.“I can tell you that my goal as recreation director is to provide services to the community of what it wants and what it needs, and I am willing to work with groups to do whatever I can,” said Phillips.The statement follows Phillips’ recent suggestion to dissolve or find another manager of the city’s current Downtown Market.Phillips said she is open to having more resourceful leadership that can make the Downtown Market the success it needs to be. This year, the market had a total of 20 vendors, but only an average of eight vendors would participate on Saturdays. The recreation department tracked a total of 600 visitors all year.Even though the recreation department devoted eight administrative hours a week to the market, Phillips said the market was still not flourishing and her limited staff can not continue exerting a full day of work into a program that impacts few people. Phillips said her department doesn’t have the resources to make the market successful during the busiest season for parks and recreation in Warrenton.“There is a need for a (farmers’) market in our community,” said Phillips. “I’m not sure we’re the right people to be doing it.”The Right StuffJohn Claire, market master for the Warren County Farmers’ & Artisans Market in Wright City, decided to take immediate action after he read the Warren County Record article about Phillip’s request for another organization to step forward.“I talked it over with a couple of the other officers and a few of the other vendors and decided that we probably needed to check into this,” said Claire.Claire went to Warrenton City Hall and was told to submit a proposal.Claire said the Warren County Farmers & Artisans Market plans to submit a plan soon. The Warren County Farmers & Artisans Market is the same group that pulled out of Warrenton in 2009, but Claire said now is perfect timing for discussing a return to the city. His market has a proven track record in Wright City. Officials in Wright City say the group is successful, having 40 vendors and a growing membership going into next year.“The city and the recreation department of Wright City support us. If we ask for something, they bend over backwards to help us. We are able to run it pretty much the way we want to run it,” Claire said.When it comes time to get down to business in Warrenton, Claire has an idea of how things should go. His mainconcern is whether the city could have stricter requirements that would possibly include the imposition of fees. But he admitted that with the city’s open invitation there isn’t an appearance of any issues that can’t be overcome.Phillips said once she receives a formal proposal she will then take steps to come to an agreement with the party she feels is best suited to take over the market. Once an agreement is reached, she would take it before the board of aldermen.“My department and the city — we are committed to finding a way to make it as easy as possible for the people who want to participate in the farmers’ market or run the farmers’ market,” said Phillips. “And I’ve had discussions with our director of operations and I know she is supportive of us working together to figure out what we can to do make this easy. So I do believe we are willing to sit down at the table and come to an agreement.”For Claire and his fellow vendors, the formula for success is proven in Wright City. Curt Kehoe, Wright City parks director, is part of the group’s evolution. His department does not collect money from the organization or its members.“Here in Wright City, we just provide a place. This is for the community,” said Kehoe. “What they do rather than pay the city a booth space or pay other fees, they are involved with park projects.”The Warren County Farmers & Artisans market is a nonprofit. Its members each pay a $30 annual membership fee. The market has used that money to give back to the community. For example, the market purchased a large quantity of rock for $1,500. The rock was donated to the Deikroeger Park’s walking trail project in Wright City. The market also purchased a donation of wood for school kids to build picnic tables. And the market is a member of the Wright City Area Chamber of Commerce.“We are a nonprofit. We are not a rich market by any means. But we have enough, by only charging $30 for a whole year,” said Claire. “If there’s something we can do to help out, we will definitely do what we can do.“It’s the way that small towns have always worked and are supposed to work,” added Kehoe.

Kathleen Berger Photo.

MARKET MASTER — John Claire, market master of the Warren County Farmers and Artisans Market in Wright City, on a rainy day at the pavilion at Diekroeger Park.