Now, WHY we left. The Cave City Convention Center has never supported the market. They got the money for the pavilion from the state although if you listen to the mayor, Bob Hunt, HE paid for it. They were supposed to be our sponsor but the basic thing they did was provide the pavilion and not much else, especially after the first two years. They had informed us from the beginning we would pretty much be on our own after that period of time. So...
We took over the business of the market, keeping our own records, monies and website. But they have felt free on many occasions to tell us that we could not use the pavilion on days we were scheduled to be there. This caused quite a bit of anger from the members and confusion on the part of the community. We are a KY Proud market, a state program, and we also participate in the WIC and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Programs, also run by the state. When we say we will be at a location on a specific day, we are supposed to be there so it caused a conflict with those programs, too.
There has always been an undercurrent of thought with the members of the market and some of the community, that the Convention Center always wanted the pavilion for their own use from day one. As I have already said, they have never supported our market. They wouldn't let us put a sign out by the road and since it is in such an out of the way place, it is hard to see unless you know it is there. We got very little impulse traffic. They never put anything about the market on their own sign out front even on days when they had nothing to put on it for themselves. It was a rare occasion when anyone on the board would come to the market to buy anything. The kitchen at the Convention Center never bought anything for their dinners or other events.
The building has never been maintained. There are nuts and bolts falling out of it all the time. We have to go around picking them up to keep anyone from getting a flat tire. The downspouts are either broken or missing, we reported that a woman ran into one once and they never fixed it. We have done what we could to maintain the building but there is only so much we could do. The electric switch in the back has never had a plate on it, making it dangerous, it was reported and they did nothing. Ditto for the leak in the bathroom, they did nothing about it either. We had a terrible bird problem in the pavilion, they nest in it and their droppings are EVERYWHERE. It is impossible to keep the place clean although we tried.
We were informed last year that it was up to us to keep the bathrooms clean, which we did until they let the public use it on Good Old Days and it got trashed. We quit cleaning it after that. And one of the worst things they did was when they kicked us out of the pavilion for the same Good Old Days event, Pat Key offered to let us set up at their place on the corner of Hwy 70 and 31W. City employees came and put caution tape and cones up so people could not get to us. The two United Methodist churches were members of the market and were having a bake sale. The mayor is a member of one of those churches. Although he SAYS he didn't know they had us cut off, he was sitting right there while we were blocked and therefore effectively kept his own church from having their bake sale. That's low. It seems pretty evident to me that he isn't above lying, either. he was SITTING RIGHT THERE and did nothing. We remained blocked for over an hour.
We tried in 2008 to get them to talk to us and try to work out some of our problems but they refused. The pastor of the United Methodist Church, Donna Aros, tried to get them to meet with us but they refused. In the winter of 2009 they asked us to attend a meeting. "Finally," we thought, "we can work things out." But that's not what the meeting was for. It was to inform us that they were taking over the market, including the state run Nutrition Programs. Why they thought they could do that, we had no idea. When I talked to the people in the state about what they said, they sure didn't like it. The contract between the state and the market has MY name on it, Pat Switzer. It was pretty presumptuous of them to think that the state wouldn't mind if they took over. Not only that but the rules they wanted to impose were outlandish. They wanted to insist that all members HAD to be at the market EVERY Saturday, HAD to grow produce that would come in from the beginning of the season till the end, HAD to open at 6 instead of 8 and this one really is a winner - members could not sell anywhere else.
It had no effect on them when I told them that this was still America and they couldn't force people to do these things. I was informed that they could if they got them to sign a contract. I told them that the farmers were not that stupid. Anyone in their right mind would not sign their rights away. The meeting closed with them making a committee of two to determine how best to change the rules.
On April 24 we received a letter informing us that they took over the market. The new rules weren't exactly like they said they would be at the meeting, they were worse in some cases and understated in others. I did notice that they were smart enough to not put their original rules from the meeting in writing although I am sure it is still their intention that they be met. In the letter below, none of the rules takes into consideration that we are state sponsored and have to go by the STATE rules.
Fortunately, we had talked to the people of the state last year and they said it would not cause a problem as far as the programs were concerned. If we relocated, we would retain our status in these programs. And that's what we are going to do. Check the location page for new information as we get it. The interesting thing is, they sent out two different sets of rules. The second set is remarkably like the ones I wrote myself - only with some omissions and additions that they made. But I know my wording and those are our rules that I wrote. Did they steal them? Would you doubt it? And overall, many of the rules are talking down to us like children. I mean, is it REALLY necessary to tell us not to sell spoiled produce? REALLY?
Here is the letter several of us received. They mention wanting an agriculture and exposition center. They couldn't even support the market in their front yard. They don't deserve anything else. But what else can you expect from a city whose only claim to fame is that they are the "Gateway" to another place? The letter further states that you can send your membership fee to them but the fees have already been collected by the REAL market board, the market times and dates and locations had already been registered with Kentucky Ag Dept well before the meeting took place. WE are the market. THEY are not. The market was already underway for the year. The agreement they had attached to the letter is bogus. The real one can be obtained from me, Pat Switzer or a printable form is available on this website. I will put the rules they sent below their letter.
I, Pat Switzer, am the WIC and Senior FMNP Coordinator for the Cave City Market. All training and paperwork is obtained through me and me only. The statement, "a WIC voucher program form will constitute membership and privilege to sell" is incorrect. You may only accept the vouchers at a market that is certified to do so.
In the rules listed here it also says that you can sell "All fruits, vegetables and herbs" In the other set of rules, it states something entirely different. They say they won't allow fresh meat in this set of rules. One of the best things the market has going for it is John's Custom Meats. In the second set of rules they sent out - you know, OUR rules in the first place - they don't mention meat at all so which rules do they want members to go by?
It is pretty obvious these people haven't a clue as to what is going on. They don't know how to run a market. It isn't as easy as they think. Good luck to them and their NEW market. 'Cuz the old one has moved.