Decatur Farmers Market May Change Management

Changes in management and location are in the works for the Decatur Farmers Market.

The market founders, Greg and Nicole Coleson, are talking about transferring operational control to Community Farmers Markets, according to a report in Atlanta magazine's "Covered Dish" column by Deborah Geering. CFM is a nonprofit that runs the markets in Grant Park and East Atlanta Village.

The magazine says,

The switch would certainly mean an increase in resources devoted to the market, and would likely result in a larger, more consistent collection of vendors.

"We just couldn't dedicate the time and the energy to it that it needs," says Nicole Coleson, who with her husband started the market in 2002, right around the time their daughter was born. "So when they approached us, we said, 'Yes, it's absolutely time.' "

The Decatur Farmers Market website says, there's a "tentative agreement" with the city for the market to move to the courtyard of the Beacon Hill municipal complex, which is undergoing renovation.

"We are very excited about this and have been working with the city for years to come up with a suitable long term location to hold the market," the farmers market website said.

The complex used to house the black schools in Decatur before integration. Recently it's been home to the Decatur Police Department, the municipal court and recreation programs. It was the temporary home for the Active Living Department while the recreation center was renovated.

When the renovation is finished, there will be a courtyard where the market would operate. The work should be finished in spring 2015.

The Decatur Farmers Market operates 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays at the Bank of America parking lot at Church Street and Commerce Drive and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at West Trinity Place and McDonough Street, near Decatur High School.