SOUTH PORTLAND – The South Portland Planning Board voted unanimously Tuesday to allow the Maine Mall to bring its farmers market out of the parking lot and into center court for its sophomore season, which opens Friday.
“So, last time did not work out, I gather?” asked Planning Board member Caroline Hendry.
“That’s one way to look at it,” said the mall’s general manager, Craig Gorris. “We thought there would be a little more synergy next to Hannaford in what we call our festival lot. That was probably a miscalculation on our part. It wasn’t the ideal location.”
Among the issues, Gorris admitted the expanse of pavement, while also reflecting summer heat onto shoppers and vendors, did not present the agricultural feel one normally associates with a farmers market. A lack of surrounding trees also left the vendors open to the vagaries of the wind, he said.
“There are a couple of returning vendors who remember their tents falling down a few times [from the wind],” said the mall’s marketing manager, Stefanie Millette, on Monday. “They don’t have to deal with that this year, so they’re very excited about the move inside.”
Millette also said last year’s “atypical” mix of services and artisans in favor or a farmers-only affair.
Although the Planning Board approved up to 15 market vendors at the indoor location, it will open with eight, said Millette, in order to judge first how much foot traffic will be generated by the pickling and preserving demonstrations to be staged by the Master Food Preservers from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office, as well as by other “interactive activities.”
Asked by Hendry if the mall might also stage a winter farmers market, Gorris said the idea has been bandied about, but likely wouldn’t happen until January. The area where farmers will display their wares, in center court next to Sports Authority, adjacent to the food court, is given over to other events and displays during the Christmas season, said Gorris.
The need for the Planning Board to grant “special exception” approval for the mall was largely technical, due to revisions in a number of city ordinances made earlier this year to better accommodate South Portland’s other farmers market, which runs from 3-7 p.m. on Thursdays on Hinckley Drive, next to Mill Creek Park.
“We just didn’t have the foresight when we allowed farmers markets throughout the city to make an exception for ones that would be inside another building, like the mall,” said City Planner Tex Haeuser.
“It does seems like it’s a licensing thing, not a planning board thing,” said board member Susan Hasson.
Haeuser intimated an ordinance change might be in the offing, which could be in place before the mall needs to return to the planning board for another season.
The Farmers Market at the Maine Mall will run from 2-6 p.m. every Friday though September, except for July 5. Scheduled food demonstration dates include June 21 (strawberry jam), July 26 (pickling) and Aug. 16 (salsa). July 26 also will see Scottish exhibits and animals brought in to celebrate the Maine Highland Games, while Bon-Ton will stage job fairs alongside the market on July 19 and Aug. 2.
The eight farms scheduled to participate beginning this Friday are:
• Beth’s Farm Market, of Warren, featuring mixed fruits and vegetables,
• Blown Dreams Farm, offering organic vegetables, gourmet cow’s milk and cheese, oyster and shiitake mushrooms and various greens,
• Liv with Roz Farm, of Gorham, specializing in goat milk soap, lip balms and lotions,
• Maine Homestead Farm, of Arundel, featuring pickles, jams, jellies, relish and salsa,
• Snow Hook Farm, of Gorham, offering goat milk and cheese,
• Sumner Valley Farm, of Sumner, featuring poultry, pork, eggs and mixed vegetables,
• Up-Beet Farm, of Porter, with organic mixed vegetables, flowers and herbs, and
• When Pigs Fly Bakery, of Kittery, featuring 20 different kinds of fresh-baked artisan breads.
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