Dear Mayor Hamilton, Director McDevitt, and Commissioners Coyne, Hoffman, Mills and Thatcher,

The 88 signatures below represent the small, independent farm and artisan food vendors who currently
anchor the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, including 76% of vendors who sold on three or
more Saturdays in 2019. Hailing from 18 counties and diverse religions, national origins, ethnicities,
educational backgrounds, genders, and political beliefs, we urge you with a united voice to support a
sustainable, local food system open and belonging to all. We recognize there is work to do, and we are
willing to do our part. We urge you to do yours by continuing to operate the Bloomington Community
Farmers’ Market.

Bloomington residents consistently rank the Market at or near the top of the City’s services. In the 2019
community survey, 91% of residents ranked the Market as “excellent” or “good,” and 70% rated it as an
“essential” or “very important” City service. We, too, value the Market and the City’s continued operation
of it for the following reasons:
● Valuable infrastructure including shelter, electricity, bathrooms, parking, space for community
events, and access to security personnel
● Policies that simultaneously respect the work required to build a food business over many years
while also remaining an open, low barrier entry point for new farmers
● Market staff who are fairly compensated and have expertise in rule administration, event
organization, and communication
● Community traditions in special performances, tasting events, farm tours, and art fairs that foster
cultural exchange and diversity
● Successful food access initiatives like SNAP doubling, WIC & Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition
Program vouchers, which will be tripled next year, and a new produce prescription program
● Relationships with major food providers including chefs and food security agencies.

Vendors deeply appreciate the benefits of the City Market and its 45-year history of support. Can we
imagine a hot Saturday morning without children splashing in the fountain or a holiday market without
chestnuts around the fire? Gorgeous begonias on the sidewalk, a clean front lawn, the red brick plaza,
inviting tables and sitting blocks, surrounding lilacs and maples, accessibility to the beautiful B-line, even
the squeak of metal signs in the breeze—all of it complements our racks of colorful food! One can easily
forget the quiet logistics of line-up on public streets, vendor parking in City lots, trash collection,
restroom cleaning, music on the stage, security personnel, and signage placement. Our food catches an
audience in the website farm features, in pictures all over the city, in the soup, tomato and apple tastings,
and in the local newspaper. We have shelters and electricity and water and permanent pavement
markings. The ​Market Beet​ informs us about upcoming events, passings and funerals, and farm items for
sale. We rather like this market.

The dependable and friendly staff juggle countless details and take our frantic calls in the wee hours.
They truly care about our success, navigate a complicated system of rules, take the heat in on-the-spot
moments, and communicate on a city level. Their balance of predictability and yet openness to innovative
arrangements advance opportunities for all vendors. And they, remarkably, rise above the self-interest of
some around them. These are the things we value about the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market!
This is why vendors have long driven past other opportunities and sought out the Bloomington City
Market as the place to be.

But the thing that vendors love most about the market is relationships. Together our children have raced
through the bushes and climbed through trucks. We watch as the little ones grow into responsible young
adults able to lend a hand at the table. At weddings we applaud and at memorials we cry. We share
farming secrets and recipes and sales tips, and our customers join in. We talk bugs and lightning and seed
catalogs. When disaster strikes we come together. Food ties the knot between us in a critical way. We eat
not only potatoes—we eat Jeff's potatoes. We are family.

Like anyone, in our few leisure moments we discuss every topic under the sun. Without fear. Our beliefs
and our work integrate realistically, and if not, we have the opportunity to discover otherwise. The
Constitutional protections of free speech and religion that a public market provides to both vendors and
customers remain important to us. We don't always agree on elections or farming or faith or the lines for
our tents. But we make it work. The power of persuasion outsteps the power of force. The atheist helps to
load the Anabaptist's truck at the close of market. To disagree respectfully faces this City Market toward
the future. This is a thing worth sweating for. This is the weight of being American. What opportunity for
this American City to choose the brave way rather than the easy one!

We vendors acknowledge that it has been difficult to pull out our opinions in public. The market season is
a time of intense work for us, and we have few spare minutes to engage in a time-consuming process
driven largely by those who are not vendors. Some of us are wary of digital engagement. Many of us are
dismayed about tactics that create fear and division. Some of us have trembled a bit as we watched events
unfold, and we have murmured only to our trusted neighbors. Now we are speaking. We do not want to
lose the good things of this market or to see it disintegrate into narrow groups. To those who disagree, we
extend a handshake, a thoughtful word, and maybe an invitation to dinner.

We don’t believe that the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, an institution with much history,
knowledge and resources, and that has done so much good, must be destroyed in order to break the
current impasse. Every one of us values the diversity of customers we greet each Saturday, and we want
all residents of Bloomington to feel safe and welcome at the Market. We believe in the inherent value of
all persons--both customers and vendors--and we do not wish this Market to be defined otherwise. We
want customers and vendors to be safe from harassment and intimidation.

We refuse to cave to fear. Could we be the next target of disruptive protests? Could our livelihoods take
even more of a blow in the coming season? Could our children become afraid to be alone at night? Could
a violent incident mar the collective record we have worked long and hard for? Yes. But we are resilient.
As farmers and artisans, we are accustomed to looking forward to the possibility of something better and
to taking up the work necessary to make it happen. We call to the City to be a well-equipped partner as
we work toward a safe, welcoming, diverse community gathered around food. We choose the brave way
rather than the easy one!

Many of us have sacrificed much to live out our values--to cultivate a healthy earth and to provide fresh
and healthful food. We thank our customers and City officials for sharing those values. We thank you for
keeping the Market public so that we can collectively pursue a better future for us all.

Sincerely,

(vendor list begins on following page)

Raji Muthukrishnan Shu Jou and Ping Chang Caleb Staton
Aahaa Chai Farmers Just Me Farm

Cortland Carrington Jennifer Burt Chris Vosters

American Mushroom & Spice Feast Kettle of Corn
Co.
Jim Baughman and Joe Linnea Good
Chad Powers Baughman Linnea's Greenhouse
Bloomush Freedom Valley Farm LLC
Michael Hicks
Grant Pershing Karen Saint Rain Living Roots Farm
Blue Hour Farm Glorious Daylily Farm
Joseph Peter Johnson
Salem Willard Nathavood Doungtasit and Lee Lost Pond Farm
Bread & Roses Gardens Blanton
Good Life Farms Gregory Espey
Nick and Audrey Schultz Lost River Farm
Brown County Coffee Mike Salem
Good Nature Farm Larry and Tina Howard
Kevin and Mary Anna Graber Maple Valley Farm and
Buffalo Trail Farm Daniel and Fannie Mae Graber Harvest Partners LP
Graber's Produce
Angela Cane and Paula Cook Whitney and Kip Schlegel
Canku Luta Gardens J.A. Hartenfeld and Jennifer Marble Hill Farm, LLC
Robinson
Mike and Rosie Sill Hart Farm Dale and Vicki Marchino
Earthsong Farm Marchino Farms
Linda Chapman
Alice Young Harvest Moon Flower Farm Jon Navota
Farmer Martin Hollow Farm
Jim and Patricia Sigman
Gene Newton Hi-Acre Farm Rachel Beyer and Jonas
Farmer Carpenter
Rebecca and David Vadas Mavourneen Farm and
Joe Yoder Hoosier Honey Bread & Roses Nursery
Farmer
Tracy and Christina Hunter Dan, Kaye and Brandon
Tracy Branam Hunter's Honey Farm McCullough
Farmer McCullough Farms
Sarah Kinne
Wendy Smerk Indiana Daffodil Society Jeff and Lori McEvilly
Farmer McEvilly Gardens
Don Dunkerly
Alvin and Katie Fisher Iron Mountain Greenhouse John McMahan
Farmers McMahan's Natural Garden
Christina Jones Farms
Mark and Earla Eskew Jones 5 Star Ranch
Farmers
Jordan Meurer Titus and Miriam Raber Dale and Lee Jones
Meurer's Produce Raber's Family Produce Stranger's Hill Certified
Organic Farm and
Allen Kitscher Zach Martin and Jennifer Greenhouses
Moon Valley Farm Karnes
Red Frazier Bison Ranch Jim and Nel Hostetter
Melvin and Karen Reeves Sweet Claire Bakery
Morningside Farm Vanessa Reeves
Reeves Greenhouse & Farm Jason Hobson and Robin
Eric Schedler and Katie Zukof Market Kitowski
Muddy Fork Bakery Sycamore Run Farm
Curtis Cantwell Jackson
Katie Mysliwiec Renaissance Farms David Widner and Patty Skinner
Needmore Coffee Roasters Temple Stone Gardens
Tim and Sheena Vanzant
Mike and Lisel Record Risin' Creek Creamery Josh Jackson, Tonya Plachy,
New Ground Farm, LLC Nicole Schonemann, and Mark
Stephen and Anna Mae Stoll Veldman
Jim Lewis Rising Moon Acres The Goat Conspiracy
Old Post Gardens
Jesus and Maria Barajas Tracy Gates
Chester, Janice, Brock, Abigail, Sazon The Inkwell
Andre, Judah, Arielle Lehman
Olde Lane Orchard Tracy Bruce Jeff Hanna
Scholar's Inn Bakehouse Triple H Wagyu
Jeff and Liz Padgett
Padgett's Family Farm Jeremiah and Marie Wagler Amos and Hannah Esh
Seldom Rest Orchard Twilight Dairy
Perry Richardson
Perry Richardson Produce Jon Kulow Dave and Kim Sturgill
Farms Seven Ridges Eco Farm VanAntwerp's Farm Market

Maria Carlassare Eric Murphy Ahlawan Payne

Piccoli Dolci Shamrock Farm Wan’s Garden

Louise Miracle Melanie Quinn and Dr. Shankar Mei-Hui Lin

Pie First Bakery Jayaganapathy Wat-A-Bao
Shawnee Hills Farm
Maria de Pilar Gonzalez Dan Weber
Pili's Party Taco Galen and Donna Stoll Weber Sugar Camp
Stoll's Greenhouse
Emanuel and Susannah Josh Hermes
Slabaugh John Byers Wild Alaska Salmon &
Poole Mill Produce Stone Hills Maple Syrup and Seafood
Squash-o-Rama
Melissa Pope Kyle & Maeve Smith
Pope Family Farm Wilderlove Farm