VALDOSTA — Farmers markets in Georgia have been the epicenter of agricultural exchange for decades. An outlet for rural farmers to bring their product into town and sell to people without the space to grow produce.

Georgia state farmers markets, those markets that are owned by the state but operated by market managers or lessors, are steadily declining.

With the economic downturn, the possibility of closing more markets across the state is never too far from becoming reality.

The state is discussing giving up ownership of a number of its farmers markets, said Deputy Commissioner Terry Coleman, Georgia Department of Agriculture.

But Valdosta, he said, and many of the larger state farmers markets, such as those in Atlanta, Macon, Thomasville and Savannah, are safe — for now.

“We certainly want to keep our regional major markets open,” he said.

The continued operation by the state of some of the markets could come to a close before the end of the year.

Rep. Ellis Black, D-Valdosta, said the fate of the Valdosta farmers market on South Patterson Street, which includes Carter and Sons Produce, Farmer Brown’s and B.E. Guess and Sons Pecan Co., could be decided this legislative session.

In the summer of 2007, Black, along with other representatives appointed to a study committee, toured state markets and discussed how well they were being utilized.

Several of the markets are no longer being used to the fullest advantage and have fallen into disrepair, Black said.

“The Valdosta market could go either way,” he said. “The facilities are quite old, and it would take a lot of work and a lot of money to get them back in shape.”

The original use of farmers markets has become antiquated, he said.

“The whole concept is really out of date. Originally, it was set up for farmers to bring in their product on pickup trucks and have a place to sell in town,” Black said. “This is no longer a practical business model.”

The commissioner of agriculture rents, as landlord, or leases, as lessor, the buildings for the markets within the state. This also gives the Georgia Department of Agriculture the power to close a farmers market.

“We rent spaces to help produce dealers and others who buy local products and resell them, which helps the whole agricultural industry,” Coleman said. “When you look at closing a market like Valdosta, the truth is, if we closed it, we would actually lose money because of the rent we get from the two major vendors there.”

The Georgia Marketing Act of 1981 states: “In making the determination of whether a market should be closed, the commissioner shall consider the need for the particular market from the standpoint of the marketing of agricultural products, the convenience of farmers and consumers, the cost of operating and maintaining the market, and other relevant factors. When a farmers market is closed by the commissioner, custody of the real property encompassing the farmers market may be transferred, with the approval of the Governor, from the department to the State Properties Commission by an executive order of the Governor.”

Many of the seasonal markets — Moultrie, Cairo and Albany — are not being used much, making the monetary returns for the state minimal, Black said.

“The state is actually making a little money on the one in Valdosta,” he said. “And we haven’t spent a lot of money on it. It’s just sitting there.”

“Farmers markets contribute about $3 to $5 million to the general fund from rental fees,” Coleman said. “Most of that comes from the Atlanta market.”



CARTER AND SONS PRODUCE

For more than 10 years the Carter family has operated Carter and Sons Produce on the southside of town.

The business is family owned, but the building is the property of the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Carter and Sons opened in 1997, but the Carter family has sold produce out of the market for much longer.

Oscar Carter — the current owners’ grandfather — rented a stall and sold produce for more than 20 years in the market, said Matt Carter, co-owner.

Boasting a steady flow of traffic during the week and a packed parking lot on the weekends, the market, along with Farmer Brown’s, does brisk business throughout the year, he said.

Carter and Sons Produce, along with Farmer Brown’s and B.E. Guess and Sons Pecan Co., pay rent monthly to the state to use the buildings and make repairs and renovations to the building out of their own pocket, Carter said.

Farmers markets, in general, offer a larger variety of produce than supermarkets at a lower price, he said.

Carter and Sons Produce sells produce from farmers in Brooks, Echols and Cook counties, among others. This gives customers a fresher product than one that has been shipped from California or South America, Carter said.

Farmer Brown’s and Carter and Sons Produce provide vegetables and produce to area businesses and schools with mass product delivery and pickup, a service that would be turned over to supermarkets or corporate companies if the markets closed.



AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Relinquishing ownership of the property could open up a variety of options for the Valdosta markets.

Currently the state owns 22 acres of land where the markets are located, much of which is not being used, Black said.

If the farmers markets are relocated from the buildings sites, the facilities could be used as mass distribution sites for agricultural products, Black said.

The state market in Valdosta would not technically be closed if the department pulled funding, Coleman said.

The state would give up ownership of the property, which would force the renters to close and relocate.

The property could be turned over to the city or county government. Black said he has even talked with the South Regional Joint Development Authority about the possibility of assuming ownership should the markets be closed.

“I talked with them, and they are trying to come up with a plan to take it and develop it and better utilize it,” Black said. “We will see what happens on a state level. We want to have a plan together, so we can turn it into something positive.”

The South Regional Joint Development Authority is comprised of members from Brooks, Berrien, Cook, Echols, Clinch, Lowndes and Lanier counties.

Chairman Glenn Gregory said the possibility of the authority developing the property is under consideration. The organization is waiting on the state to actually relinquish control of the property before moving forward.

The authority is ready to begin an Environmental Phase I study and is also working with the Valdosta State University Harley Langdale School of Business to do an economic impact study on the potential uses for the property, he said.

“The first thing that we are looking at is of course trying to upgrade the overall facility,” Gregory said. “The buildings are very old and in need of a good bit of repair but what we are planning to do is develop a plan where we would try to replace those buildings with a new farmers markets that is better suited to today’s agricultural industry.”

Markets that have not been properly maintained or used are a liability to the state, Black said. Turning the property over to a local entity would force the buildings to either be torn down or renovated, he said.

If the county or city government decided to not take ownership of a property after the state relinquished ownership, the property would be turned over to the Surplus Properties Division of the state government and auctioned off, Black said.

Markets in Brooks County and Adel have been converted to serve other uses through these channels.

The Athens State Farmers Market was closed in the spring of 1999. The property is currently being leased by the Athens-Clarke County government.

If the Valdosta market is closed, it is Black’s hope that the city, county or industrial authority assumes ownership. The current tenants stand a better chance of retaining their locations because the property would not be auctioned off in an open market, he said.

“During my discussions with the development authority, we both recognize the people that have been there ... (have) put a lot of money in developing that property for their use,” Black said. “We want to look after the tenants that have been there.”

This would allow the new owners to work with the current tenants on a favorable rental price or delegate a timeline for them to find a new place of operation.

“The development authority could come in and build some new buildings and take care of the existing tenants and draw other business to Valdosta,” Black said.

If built, the new facilities will probably include retail spaces for the existing tenants and a small food processing plant, Gregory said.

“Our goal would be to further revitalize the agricultural market in our seven counties,” he said.

Even if the state relinquishes control, the studies conducted by the authority may prove that the conceptual ideas for the property are not the best use of the space, he said.

The hope is to further energize the local agriculture market and have a positive economic impact on the region, Gregory said.

Once the state makes a decision on the property, Gregory said the studies could be conducted in 30 to 60 days.

“The thing we have to be careful of is that we don’t jump ahead of the process,” Gregory said. “It has to be determined that the state is of a mind to proceed with the transfer of the property. Our study needs to come after we know what the state is willing to do.”

Gregory does expect legislation to be passed this session that will dissolve the state of ownership rights to the property.

The authority has began preliminary site visits to the property to prepare for the studies.

Carter encourages people to call their local representatives and encourage them to keep the market open in its current form.

“With the economy the way it is, if they close the markets, how are people going to afford fresh produce?” Carter asked. “They won’t get what they can get here at the supermarket.”



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Area state representatives, senators



• Representative Ellis Black (D-174) — (404) 656-0287 or (229) 559-1592

• Representative Amy Carter (D-175) — (404) 656-0325 or (229) 245-2733

• Representative Jay Shaw (D-176) — (404) 656-7859 or (229) 482-3505

• Senator Tim Golden (D-8) — (404) 656-7580 or (229) 293-0202

• Senator Greg Goggans (D-7) — (404) 463-5263 or (912) 260-0057