After several extensions, Sunday, June 10, is technically the last day they are allowed to operate on state property.
But they have no plans of leaving just yet.
The state gave the farmers’ market an eviction notice back in April because of safety and liability concerns.
The market’s future is now tied up in legal battles and small farmers are on pins and needles awaiting their fate.
It looks like business as usual at the Haleiwa Farmers’ market.
But in the back of many people’s minds is – will it be here next week?
"We rely on it for a lot of our sales, if you take away this market or any other market we do – that could be 20% to 25% of our sales would be gone," said Monique Vanderstroom from Naked Cow Dairy.
This site on the corner of Kamehameha Highway and the Haleiwa Bypass road is considered a highway right-of-way, making vending here illegal.
So the state Attorney General’s Office gave the organizers a list of three alternate sites to do business.
"Two of them are not going to work,and were still working with Waimea Valley to see if that could possibly work," said Pamela Boyar, co-owner of the Haleiwa Farmers’ Market.
But the earliest organizers say they could close a deal with Waimea Valley, would be six months.
According to their most recent eviction notice, they don’t even have another day.
"Its just gotten to be a political argument," says Wahiawa resident Paul Hicks. "Everybody taunts of this being the goal for Hawaii to be self sufficient, well this is the grassroots starts of it."
Organizers say every dollar spent in a farmers’ market infuses $3 into outlying areas.
They estimate the economic impact of this market to be $7 million – an impact they are hoping the state considers before they close these doors for good.
"I think there’s a good future for small farmers, but markets like this are key, to helping these small farmers survive," Vanderstroom says.
Organizers say they will continue to look for alternate sites to move the market, but until they find one, they don’t plan on going anywhere.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
