Finger pointing, speculation, and a bit of mystery have swirled through the community online and off since news broke last weekend that the Joshua Tree Certified Farmers Market would have to cut loose two-thirds of the vendors by order of county code enforcement. Reporter Mike Lipsitz, in this follow up, brings some clarity to the story…
Whether code enforcement received a complaint or was in the area for another reason may never be known. That information is neither public nor relevant at this point. What is important is that once Joshua Tree’s popular farmers’ market got their attention, the county could not turn a blind eye to serious violations of the market’s permit agreement. The first paragraph of the 2009 permit limits the market to 12 vendors maximum. The second paragraph restricts each vendor to 500 square feet and confines total market space to 6,000 square feet. What code enforcement encountered was three times the number of vendors allowed spread over an area two-and-half times in excess of their legal limit. For the county, public safety takes precedence over commercial expansion. If people are injured because first responders are impeded by an overcrowded market it is the county that would be liable.
Responsibility for the violations—as well as credit for the success of the Certified Farmers’ Market during the past 12 years at its downtown Joshua Tree location—lies squarely at the feet of owner/founder Lori Herbel. So while the future of the market is not yet known, Herbel’s knack for successfully managing this market is reason enough for fans to remain optimistic.
