Bridget Doyle, TribLocal reporter
With only a little more than a month left in its 34th season, a number of vendors at the Hinsdale Farmer’s Market have noticed a decline in sales for the 2010 season.
But what’s to blame for the slow summer isn’t a unanimous speculation across the dozen or so vendors at the Monday morning market.
“With open air markets, the weather is critical,” said Jeff Morlock of the Watervliet, Mich.-based JW Morlock and Girls. “The storms earlier this year combined with the heat hurt crops.”
Jan Anderson, executive director of the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce, says the popularity of the market remains high for not only patrons, but vendors as well.
“I imagine there are some years that are better than others due to circumstantial reasons — and with a sagging economy I’m sure some business has dropped off — but we still feel the market is highly successful within the community,” Anderson said. “We continue to get calls every season and we’re always completely booked up early in the season.”
Steve Theis of Yorkville-based Evergreen Farms thinks it has less to do with the weather and more about competition.
“There used to just be a few farmer’s markets here and there, but now every darn suburb has one,” Theis said. “Every day of the week there’s another market. They’ve lost their uniqueness.”
Theis, who has been selling at the Hinsdale market since it opened in the late 70’s, said his fruit and vegetable sales have been down about 15 percent this season.
Erin Harper, owner of Carny Bros. Kettle Corn said his 2010 sales are down, too — somewhere between 20 and 30 percent.
“The economy is a lot worse than the government wants to let on,” Harper said. “People just haven’t been coming out to the markets as much.”
Harper also sells his popcorn at farmer’s markets in Elmhurst, Naperville and Woodstock, and said because his sales are so low, he’s considering taking on other markets.
“I’m going to probably start selling in at Yorktown’s farmer’s market on Wednesday afternoons after Elmhurst’s in the morning,” Harper said. “I’ve got to start doubling up.”
The Hinsdale Farmers Market is open Mondays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Burlington Park, 30 E Chicago Avenue. Hinsdale will host its final market Oct. 11.
