Three of the markets where I vend continue for most of the month of October, although traffic at all of them has thinned considerably. Even if it weren't for the screwy economy and the iffy weather, this would be a rough time of year at the markets. People's schedules change in the fall, and I think that for many folks it just doesn't feel like a farmers' market time of year, despite the fact that we have the best selection of produce from about mid September to mid October.
The Ballard Market is the exception to the rule, perhaps because it runs all year. During previous years it's peaked in the fall. This year it's holding steady, which is about all one can really hope for.
I stick with the dwindling markets to the bitter end, even though it's not really worth it for me financially. It creates work for my staff. They've stuck with me all summer, so the least I can do is to stick with them now. I've also been through this cycle enough times to know how to plan for it. For me staying to the end is also a way of "taking one for the team." I like to think of it as being a good market citizen, for whatever that's worth. However slow these markets are now, they'd be even slower if more vendors dropped out during the last few weeks. Still, I really do wish some of them would end earlier.
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