I love this idea.

Thanks There is a very cool example of this idea that is actually happening being in Santa Fe, not too far from where you live. You can learn more about it on their site: santafefarmersmarket.com

great idea, Erin...NOW is indeed the time to move on this...our community needs this and so do the farmers...

Farmers! Farmers! FARMERS! Considering that the world's dominant economy is based upon the ability to grow and store food, why is it that our farmers are so underpaid and underappreciated? I love this project because it supports the small farms that are the life blood of our communities, our health, and our independence.

Thanks for your comment. I totally agree. If we want to have food security we need to make sure that we support local farmers. Getting food from all over the world undermines our own ability to sustain our local economies. It is crucial to have thriving local farm production.

I'm all in...basket's in my car.

great idea!!!

A very intelligent proposal, and an idea whose time has come, ripe for implementation. The city needs this. I suggest that the market be located at or near the Saturday market location.

This is a great idea and Eugene is the perfect place. Eugenians are already committed to shopping at farmer's markets in the spring and summer. Why not year round. This is a step in the right direction to cut down on fossil fuels used to transport our food from far away.

This is a great idea. it should be implemented in every community that has farmers markets!

good luck ...Estella Kern

Awesome Idea Darlin'! I hope it goes through for you! If not maybe I can send a BigFoot to instill a little influence! Peace, Frank

yea - go Erin! Every town should have a farmers market! Bill

I love farmers markets. Good to diversify products also! But, be sure and get a solid business plan with numbers showing long term stability.

I don't know where this place is but building an indoor facility for 10K is impossible. I don't think you could even cover a down payment on a bank loan. Have you considered renting out existing spaces in your area? Like an old warehouse or a community center. An old warehouse could take the mess of a farmer's market.

Hi, I think you misunderstood my proposal. The 10K would be used to bring the stakeholders together and start the process. The means involving all the stakeholders in the community using a facilitator to bring the idea to the project stage. Then there would have to be a capital campaign to raise the money. If you read about the Santa Fe Farmers market project, I believe they are looking at around 2 Million for their project. You are absolutely right 10K will not cover the cost of the building, etc. The initial money would be used to bring the project to the community, work with the stake holders and get the initial plan. Thanks for your comment.

Yay for Farmer's Markets! You have my vote. :-)

Don't give up... this is a great idea that many of us have hoped for. Lane County Farmers and community members are ready for a permanent farmers market!

I'd love to add a craft section to sell and teach at. Start one in Pa. and I'm in.

Good idea. We could use these all over. Hope we can get one going in my area also. Good luck!

Good idea! Reminds me of something like we have here in the big city! All you need is a place to store everything and deliver it to people. When you get a moment, please add your vote and comment to my idea! Thank you!

I'd definitely be interested in learning more. Keep up the enthusiasm! Check out my idea when you have a chance, huyuno.com. Hopefully you'll be one of the site's first members! Cheers :)

Thank you for taking a constructive step forward with this idea! I've been hearing this talked about in the community for years, and I'd love to see it happen. As a farmer, i know this would be a huge benefit to our local growers and eaters.

great initiative Erin Go for it!!! You have all the support you need

Excellent idea and needed everywhere. In case of emergency- the local supermarket has enough to sustain us for 3 days. Access to local farmers would increase that, as well as bringing nutritous, vine ripe food almost to your doorstep. Subtract all the 'carbon footprints' from the transportation end of it, and everybody wins. From one mast gardener - i hope this takes on all over the country. Since my idea finally lost in this months finals, I am now free to vote for other wonderful ideas!!!!! Best of luck to you! If you succeed, send me an email, and I will put your model up for the Los Angeles City - UC Davis Master Gardener program. anightowl1@aol.com

I love this idea. I would love to be able to go somewhere when I go grocery shopping and get fresh vegetables and fruits! Plus I support local farmers and anything to reduce the carbon footprints we make by getting shipments in from around the country. Open one in Nashville please!

IN THE FINAL ROUND! ALRIGHT ERIN, and all voters! I hope this idea wins, then Eugene and Lane County win, too! Hilary

You mean we aren't doing this now ? GOOD GRIEF! B BY ALL MEANS DO IT !

Next door neighbors Kacey and Jeff are Farmers Market regulars. I vote yes in their honor!

Next door neighbors Kacey and Jeff are Farmers Market regulars. I vote yes in their honor!

Kacey and Jeff, FM regulars are my next door neighbors. I vote yes in their honor.

This idea has been floating around in the community for years. Kudos to Erin for taking the initiative to move it forward!

I hope you will vote for my idea :) My idea is based on the Farmers market project that they are doing in Santa Fe NM. http://www.santafefarmersmarket.com/institute/future/ It's a great indoor/outdoor building, room for 150 vendors, would have leaseable office space, a restaurant (like the farmers diner in vermont:http://www.farmersdiner.com/) , community gathering space, a commercial kitchen for those who need one to create value added products, cold storage and root cellar, outdoor green space and it is a LEED certified building. The initial $10,000 would be given directly to a non-profit in Eugene so that the dialog can be moved forward, bringing together the stake holders in the community that would need to have a say and be part of something like this. With the initial $10,000 a …moreprofessional facilitator could be hired to start moving the project forward by creating a community dialog to come to a decision on what the best way would be to implement something like this. Because there has been so much previous dialog and people have not been able to move forward due to their historical differences about the project, I see myself as an impartial instigator, someone who does not have a personal stake in the project so I am the perfect person to bring the idea forward. I also see a group similar to the Friends of the Library group that finally made the Eugene Library happen called: Friends of the Farmers Market, to run the capital campaign to make this project a reality here. Thanks for your time. Regards, Erin

Hope it becomes a reality!!!

Great idea, good luck and best wishes. I wish we had one in our community to enjoy. Lynn

You got my vote. Its about TIME!

I really like this idea and wish you all the luck. I love to shop at Farmer's Markets, but here in the frozen north there just aren't any open this time of year.

Brilliant!

Thank you, Erin, for proposing an excellent idea for downtown Eugene. I hope we can collaborate on getting a permanent farmers' market and a park across from the library. It's time for citizens to help lead the leaders of Eugene to do the right thing by making the public interest more of a priority than the corporate interest which has too often dominated the agenda downtown.

All right Erin!!! What a great idea to bring local, healthy food to our community year round! So many communities around the world have indoor/outdoor farmers markets and we should too! Thanks for the great idea and good luck! Amanda Moore, Midwife

Thanks so much for bringing this long overdue project into an arena where we can make a move forward. An indoor market could be a huge asset to farmers, shoppers, and small businesses who create value added food based products - building a stronger local economy, community, and more stable local food system. Let's Go for It! Linda.

This would be a tremendous step towards being a more sustainable community. I am all for it and now with so much focus on downtown a permanent Farmers Market could be an excellent part of the revitalization. ELK

Both Kitty and I think this is wonderful. Go for it Erin and we will be there. David and Kitty

What a great and long desired idea. Thanks for working to make it a reality. I saw your request for help in Don Dexter's office. Appreciate your networking and positive actualization of your dreams. Thanks for pointing the way to the website. Best, Barbara Healy

This is a terrific and progressive idea. Eugene residents need to support local farmers and this is a great way to do it. Fresh, LOCAL produce.....gee, what a concept! Love it!

With the price of oil now affecting all food costs (for transportation, fertilizer, etc.) we will soon need to start eating locally. A permanent Farmers Market would enable all of us with back yard gardens to share what we have -- excess garden vegetables, fruits, and flowers -- and to make a little extra change. More importantly, it would encourage local farmers to market their crops during all kinds of weather.

This is a great idea Erin. Thank you for helping make it happen. Every bit helps to reduce our carbon footprint! The Village School appreciates you and all you do for our school and our community!

Hey everyone, The votes are in, now it's wait and see. I want to thank everyone here in Eugene that helped get the word out about my idea and networked with their groups to get votes for my idea. No matter what happens, it's great to see that there are many people in the community that are passionate about seeing a project like this take place, this is very exciting to me. Regards, Erin

Even though I don't live in your area-This is great feasible idea. Here in Little Rock,Ar we have an area for The Farmers Market located in our downtown area. It is Great Sucessfull Event each year! People love homegrown fresh foods! Farmers Markets benefits evryone involved in the community that they are located. It is like a Gigantic Carnival! I hope you are successful. I would appreciate it if you would just take a look at my project-dealing with water conservation in the carwash business. Thanks in advance! Rebecca -Cybersensations-Arkansas

Erin: Nice to see you Friday eve. Your daily famer's market is a big inspiration for our Relocalized economy. As the dollar descends in value with the budget deficit and oil prices climb, our communities must understand we'll have no choice but to convert our food-supply-chain back to the local level. This as we initiate farmer's policy to grow human-consumable crops when 60% of valley crops goes to growing grass seed. Shipped now, ironically, to Asian markets that ship us our manufactured goods. Globalism with permanent carbon-fueled energy uncertainty and then energy descent is being replaced by Relocalization, and your ideablob will draw increasing numbers, including public officials, in to this reality. Please have everyone visit local sites like Post Carbon Eugene, www.relocalize.ne…moret/group/eugene or Jan S's www.suburbanpermaculture.org for more to help prepare and mitigate with. Best to you! Let's win on Round 2! Yes! Sundog, in Eugene

Love this idea. It is one I have had too.