A CONTINUING CONVERSATION. Despite some social media posts that may have indicated otherwise, the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market organization that operates the staple market (pictured) has not signed a contract which would increase its Phoenix Park Pavilion rental fees by over 200%. As of Nov. 11, organizers are still negotiating their contract with the City of Eau Claire.

Over the first weekend of November, local social media hubbub ballooned after posts from vendors of the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market (ECDFM) called for community support at the Eau Claire City Council public hearing on Monday, Nov. 9.

Facebook posts from local producers and vendors of the ECDFM, Farm Doc Microgreens and Maiv Flower Farm, sounded the alarm on a proposed contract between the market and the City of Eau Claire. Their respective posts racked up nearly 600 shares and 1,000 likes.

Those posts suggested one proposal was on the table, between the longtime downtown farmers market organization and the City: A contract that would require the ECDFM to pay some 200% more to secure the Phoenix Park Pavilion venue.

However, the City and ECDFM haven't finished negotiations yet, let alone signed an agreement. Once a contract is agreed upon and signed, it still needs to be formally presented to the Eau Claire City Council for potential approval.

“We are definitely going to continue (in) 2027 and beyond. I feel confident we will come to an agreement with the City that we all can be comfortable with.”

DEIDRA BARRICKMAN

MANAGER, EAU CLAIRE DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET

Nonetheless, if the host organization's rental rates increased by any significant amount, vendors would likely be impacted. The ECDFM charges a vendor fee to participate in the seasonal markets; those fees go toward the organization's venue rental fees, administrative and staff support, insurance and compensation for the local musicians who play at the market.

Notably, the ECDFM’s official social media page has not posted about the proposed contract – a conscious decision, Market Manager Deidra Barrickman told Volume One.

 

The first heavily circulated Facebook post made over the first weekend of November, pictured.

 

 

One day after Farm Doc Microgreens' post, left, this post (pictured) also spread quickly online.

Barrickman said she has always had a positive relationship with the City staff she engages with for the downtown market, including the Parks Department and Eau Claire Police Department.

Still, those local producers’ calls for community support were answered.

During the public comment period at the Nov. 9 city council meeting, over a dozen people spoke in support of the downtown farmers market and against significant fee increases for it. Many more attended the meeting without participating in public comment; additional seating and an overflow room were opened up to accommodate them.

City council members stated, on more than one occasion, that neither of this week’s meetings – on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 – had the ECDFM contract on their agendas, and thus was not up for formal discussion or approval/denial.

“We only went in front of city council to inform them of the situation as some of them were unaware of it,” Barrickman said of the ongoing contract process between ECDFM and the City. “We also wanted to show that we have support from the community.”

Wait, What About That 200% Figure?

According to Finance Director Kitzie Winters, the rental rate for city-owned park venues like the Phoenix Park Pavilion is increasing from $20/hour (the 2026 rate) to $23/hour (the 2027 rate). So, where did that 200% increase figure that vendors noted come from?

The ECDFM had a decade-long lease agreement with the City, from 2016-2025, which came with an annual venue rental fee of $3,300. That contract ended on March 31, 2025, Barrickman told Volume One.

The City sent a new five-year agreement proposal to the ECDFM in May 2025. After communicating back and forth about it, the two entities could not come to an agreement, Barrickman said. That’s why a one-year agreement for the 2026 season – which charged a discounted, flat rental fee of $4,000 – was signed.

If the City had charged the full 2026 fee rates, for the ECDFM to use the Phoenix Park Pavilion during its outdoor market season, that would have totaled about $10,750.

That's where the 200% figure comes in – between the 2016-2025 agreement rates and the 2026 rates, the rental fee difference is roughly +220%.

However, it is not the City’s intention to charge the ECDFM that full rental fee rate.

“Contracted rates have been historically discounted around 60% or more of the fee schedule rates,” Winters said.

The downtown farmers market is a tangible reminder of the Chippewa Valley's vibrant farming and producing communities. While its most popular day of the week is Saturday, the downtown market also pops up on Wednesdays and Thursdays during its outdoor season. (The market also operates indoors during the winter months.)

Next Steps

Ahead of the Nov. 9 city council meeting, Winters told Volume One the following steps still need to occur in the contract renewal process between the City and ECDFM:

• A potential closed session with City Council may be held to discuss bargaining parameters
• Then, City staff would meet with the ECDFM for discussion
• Ideally, the ECDFM would sign the contract
• That contract would be presented to City Council during a public meeting for potential approval

On Nov. 11, Barrickman told Volume One the ECDFM is still negotiating their contract with the City. The City is offering ECDFM a fee discount – “which they did right from the first user agreement proposal,” Barrickman noted – but a final agreement has yet to be struck. 

Looking ahead, Barrickman said the public does not need to worry about the continued existence of the downtown farmers market.

“We are definitely going to continue (in) 2027 and beyond,” she said. “I feel confident we will come to an agreement with the City that we all can be comfortable with.”

Keep up with the official Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market social media page for future updates • The Eau Claire City Council holds its public meetings (in person and via YouTube) on the second and fourth weeks of each month • Residents can contact their respective city council representative via email and phone call