New owners outline plans to revive Lebanon Farmers Market, add events and youth vendor space

The Lebanon Farmers Market's new ownership outlined plans to increase fresh-produce vendors, strengthen market staffing and expand event programming aimed at making the market a community hub.

Jared Mizrahi, who said he took ownership in March, told the council he has hired staff including a property manager and cleaners, and has recruited event coordinators to rent and manage an upstairs event space called the Warlow Room and a vacant restaurant space until a permanent tenant is found. Mizrahi said he is prioritizing experienced restauranteurs if and when the upstairs dining space is leased.

Mizrahi said the market has had vendor turnover but that change has brought more food and handcrafted goods and that his team is trying to "keep it away from being a flea market" and restore a farmer-market vibe with overflowing vegetable tables. He said the market currently has eight staff supporting operations.

Kathy Wolf, the director of market events, described programming plans including converting the mezzanine into a gathering area, hosting games, classes (art, writing), a book club, school-celebration events, breast-cancer awareness outreach, and family-friendly activities such as a spring bike-safety event planned with police. Wolf said the market intends to host nonprofits that provide food assistance and outreach events such as "Stomp Out World Hunger."

Mizrahi and Wolf said they will continue a permanent guest-vendor space for young entrepreneurs (under-18) that will operate free of charge on Saturdays, with 18+ guest vendor slots on other market days. Mizrahi said he and his staff use Facebook and a market website for outreach and that a separate event-space Facebook presence is being launched. Council members thanked the presenters and said they planned to visit the market.

No council action was required; this item was a community update.