Banishes Volunteer Group from C Street Market
By Alan “Lorax” Hirsch
Just when you thought our political rights could not be more threatened, the Trumpian zeitgeist seems to have come to Davis.
They are dramatically reducing the visibility of the community/free speech area at the Saturday Davis Farmers Market by expelling these groups from their traditional tabling area along C Street, north of the restrooms. They will be displaced one block south and two-thirds of a block west to an unpaved part of Central Park, isolated from commercial vendors in an area close to B Street.
This is consistent with the disrespect of community groups evidenced in other aspects of this situation.
This is an unshaded and hot area where visitors won’t want to linger. It is invisible to shoppers on C Street, hidden behind vendors’ trucks, banners, and awnings. The net result: these groups’ tables won’t get any casual foot traffic, and they may give up tabling altogether.
The now-lively Saturday market community area may go the way of the Wednesday free speech/community tablers. DFMA market management previously displaced Wednesday tablers from under the awning to a similarly isolated, sunny, and hot area far away from the half-empty market shed. Volunteers there received no foot traffic, suffered from sun exposure, and eventually stopped tabling altogether.
Dropping the Bomb
This relocation was a surprise move—“like dropping a bomb,” as one leader from a local children’s program described it. Most groups were given only 54 hours to accommodate the new Saturday arrangement. I have talked to no group that was consulted in advance.
This is consistent with the disrespect of community groups evidenced in other aspects of this situation.
The decision was likely made solely by Randii McNear, the manager of Davis Farmers Market Alliance, Inc. (DFMA), without input from her board. It could have been vetoed by the City, which controls the park, but Acting City Manager Kelly Stachowicz seems unconcerned. Although the unsigned directive from DFMA sounded final, Stachowicz’s response was “let’s give it a try.”
The City contracts with DFMA Inc. to run the market. DFMA pays the City $1 per year, while the farmers and vendors likely earn over $5 million in revenue annually—without paying sales or property taxes to the city, unlike Davis’s brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants.
It used to be that the community group area was one way the market gave back—but clearly no longer.
At stake here is not money, but values. The City ultimately controls the park and the shed that the farmers market uses for free. The question: Is the market only about selling local produce, or is it also about enabling connections among Davis residents?
Thirty years ago, when McNear started, the market was essential to access local organic produce. Today, even discount groceries in Davis carry organic goods. The market’s uniqueness lies elsewhere.
What Makes the Davis Market Special?
Many people note that the free speech/community space is what makes the Davis Farmers Market unique compared to the now 50+ other farmers markets in Northern California.
Yet Davis market management seems to have missed this and now wants to hide this feature across the park from the commercial vendors, unseen behind trucks and tents. The new location’s grassy, unpaved terrain will discourage families with strollers, people with shopping carts, and visitors in wheelchairs.
Reduced visitors mean fewer volunteers willing to table, fewer groups represented, and less diversity for shoppers to discover—a death spiral for our precious community group area.
Showing Off Davis Diversity
The diversity at the Saturday market is what makes a trip there special. It’s where ExplorIt, International House, and the Odd Fellows meet the public. Where over 3,000 “Love Your Neighbor” and “Support Science” lawn signs were picked up. Where political candidates meet voters. Where groups like Aggies for Israel share concerns about antisemitism, and other booths silently display the names of those killed in Gaza—coexisting side by side.
It’s where Democratic Socialists share space with more mainstream groups like Indivisible Yolo, and sometimes even the Yolo County GOP. Where Muslim, Christian, and Jehovah’s Witness groups offer conversations about faith.
If you’re lonely, it’s a place where you can engage with one or many of over 30 community volunteers on a given Saturday.
This is what’s at stake: the loss of the one time and place in Davis where we truly live the value of diversity and mutual tolerance.
But it seems community leaders have decided they value a few more food trucks over community connectivity. Have they considered the fact they are pushing Davis residents back into isolated social media bubbles?
Will Davis really be better if the market goes from 20 to 30 food trucks?
Alleged Reasons for the Change
The change was announced to most groups by email just 54 hours before applications for the new space were due. It came with no prior community input—no flyers, no public hearings before the Recreation and Parks Commission.
Randii McNear seems to have decided, and Acting City Manager Stachowicz rubber-stamped it.
The stated reasons for the change don’t hold up to scrutiny:
- Reason 1: Make the market more “family-friendly.” This is news to Explorit, Peregrine School, and the many family-friendly church groups that table weekly. Sounds more like someone is uncomfortable with political discussions.
- Reason 2: Provide more space for commercial vendors. Strange, since there are already empty vendor spaces most weeks. Vendor counts haven’t increased in years, except for the food truck area behind the Bike Museum.
- Reason 3: Provide more space for community groups. Ironically, the original community area easily accommodated twice as many tables during the 2018 election season. Congestion isn’t the problem—community engagement is. And that’s a good thing.
- Reason 4: Improve ADA accessibility. The new unpaved grassy area is less accessible than the paved sidewalk area currently in use.
- Reason 5: Avoid conflict with the new Natalie Corona Fountain. The community area is 100 yards away, separated by a fenced play area. If anything, proximity should foster synergy, not conflict.
DOGE-Style Management in Davis
Why is there suddenly a manufactured “crisis” that requires immediate action without community consultation? Why were volunteers given less than a week to prepare for significant logistical changes, including transporting tabling materials across the park?
This “move fast and break things” style feels ripped from Elon Musk’s DOGE playbook, not a community-focused city.
Not to feed conspiracy theories, but cynics could wonder if this move is an effort to reduce political speech in liberal Davis. More likely, it’s just another reminder that authoritarian impulses can arise from the left as well as the right.
A New Vision for Our Market
The City and DFMA seem to have lost sight of what truly makes the market special. The farmers market is not unique today for produce — every Davis grocery store sells organic food.
The anemic Wednesday market, with its empty market shed, hints at what happens when the market is treated as just another errand stop.
What makes the Saturday market different is the human contact: neighbors meeting, sharing, debating, and building community. That spirit is fostered by the free speech and community group area.
By pushing volunteers to an isolated backwater, market management risks killing the very thing that makes the Davis Farmers Market a cherished town institution.
It’s time to rethink why we’ve delegated management of our town’s downtown anchor attraction to leadership so out of sync with Davis’s community values.
Instead of managing the market as an oversized vegetable stand, we should manage it as a gathering place, a community hub, and a celebration of Davis itself.
“Just when you thought our political rights could not be more threatened, the Trumpian zeitgeist seems to have come to Davis.”
Or maybe more like when Biden’s DOJ and FBI went after parents who spoke up at school board meetings.
What does that have to with Davis Farmer’s Market?
Exactly, about the same thing that Trump and DOGE have to do with Davis Farmer’s Market.
Keith: The author sort of “saves” the article by noting this:
“More likely, it’s just another reminder that authoritarian impulses can arise from the left as well as the right.”
(Though I’m not sure it’s an “authoritarian impulse”.)
Change is hard.
Poor change is bad :-|
Besides local farm goods and food trucks, the Free Speech area allowed some food for thought. 🥕 🧠. I didn’t agree with every table, but it allowed some diversity of ideas shared in a popular public space. I think it’s a shame to hide this valuable tradition behind the bike museum…,that even goes for the Flat Earth Booth.
Yes, I agree, Beth Bourne should not be pushed to the back edges of the Davis Farmer’s Market. She needs full access to market traffic to get her views as much exposure as possible.
So let me ask you questions… if you dare answer…
Since yesterday I have received multiple complaints that what Beth does is confront someone, follow them, and not leave them alone.
Based on that –
A. Is she doing herself more harm than good?
B. What rights people who are merely trying to get their produce have to avoid such confrontations?
C. What rights do the organizers of the event have to try to accommodate the general public in this case?
In regard to your lettered questions, I’ll put forth my response:
A) It doesn’t matter – the question is irrelevant.
B) I doubt that Beth (or anyone else) is interfering with anyone who doesn’t engage with her themselves.
C) Don’t understand the question.
“I doubt that Beth (or anyone else) is interfering with anyone who doesn’t engage with her themselves.”
How do you know?
How would YOU know? Are you hearing from people who claim that they were just minding their own business, weren’t engaging with Beth, and don’t have any prior history with engaging with her?
Are you stating that Beth is harassing every single person who comes to the farmer’s market? (That would literally be impossible for any activist to accomplish. Though I will say that it’s pretty difficult to walk past the salesmen selling cell phone service at CostCo, without getting harassed.)
The only other people who attempt to “harass everyone” are usually homeless, mentally-ill people who sometimes end up getting arrested.
I strongly suspect that I, for example, can walk right past Beth without getting harassed. And I don’t believe she would recognize me.
There’s video
Show it. I did see the video where she got into the path of protestors on campus, who were intent on tearing down a political booth that Beth was apparently/partially associated with.
And one of the protestors chased after Beth, and hit her in the head.
I understand that she has also been the victim of vandalism, over the years.
And again, those are people who were “engaging” with Beth.
I’d like to see a video showing where she’s reportedly harassing everyone who passes by, before I’d arrive at any conclusion. Again, that’s something that homeless, mentally-ill people might try.
I’m not in possession of the video
I see. All of this sounds like “heresay”.
I’d suggest an experiment, in which people unknown to Beth try to walk past her, to see what happens. If the answer is that they were harassed, I’ll refrain from suggesting that this is anything but heresay.
Oh, one other video I have seen is where a university professor (on campus) screams at Beth that she should kill herself. (I believe I know that professor, and like her. So I was shocked to see that.)
So are you saying you agree with pushing the tabling area for all causes to the back corners of the market away from most of the foot traffic?
No, but now I understand what is going on and don’t think there is a great answer if that is what this is in response to.
“What rights people who are merely trying to get their produce have to avoid such confrontations?”
What rights do downtown shoppers have who merely want to walk the streets, do a little shopping and maybe enjoy some food and avoid confrontations with the homeless?
I don’t think that’s the example you want – if homeless people are harassing people, they can be arrested. Is that what you want for Beth?
Nice dodge.
How is it a dodge – I directly addressed your issue which itself was a dodge (in that you’re comparing homeless to Beth Bourne).
I don’t think it’s the example YOU wanted.
And while we’re at it you asked “What rights do the organizers of the event have to try to accommodate the general public in this case?”
Same thing the owners of Davis downtown businesses have been asking when confronted with the homeless problem.
What you are stating is not true, by comparing a speech situation to a homeless harassment situation, you are conflating two distinct legal issues/ problems.
“speech situation”?
Did you mean to say “free” speech?
David: You’re apparently alleging that Beth harasses others, repeated below. If there’s any accuracy to that allegation, how is that “different” than what homeless, mentally-ill people sometimes do?
Also, what is the difference between “harassment” vs. “free speech”? (That’s an “actual” question – I don’t automatically know the answer.)
David’s question from above: “What rights people who are merely trying to get their produce have to avoid such confrontations?”
” . . . if homeless people are harassing people, they can be arrested.”
Nice job giving us what we want, against what you believe in, and yet, even with our scary scary DA, they still end up back on the street for years when they do, to harass or punch people in the face once again.
And I’ll remind you, if BB is harassing people, she too can be arrested.
“A. Is she doing herself more harm than good?”
Yes. And she’s doing her ’cause’ more harm than good.
“B. What rights people who are merely trying to get their produce have to avoid such confrontations?”
You are not going to solve the BB problem by moving the booths and harming everyone there with a legitimate booth.
“C. What rights do the organizers of the event have to try to accommodate the general public in this case?”
So you feel the reason this is happening is to deal with BB? Moving the booths is ‘accommodating the general public’ ?
Like I said before, I do not believe that this is a good idea, but in a lot of cases, I think people feel like they need to do something so I can kinda understand it
“You are not going to solve the BB problem by moving the booths and harming everyone there with a legitimate booth.”
Who decides what’s a “legitimate booth”?
Maybe Don (below) is right – they should just go back to selling produce (and activities directly related to that).
Then again, you can local, organic produce in stores now – as noted in the article. (And that’s a primary reason I never step foot in farmer’s markets. I personally don’t want to go to an “event” when shopping for produce.)
Let’s please consider overall space allocation here: C Street between 3rd and 4th is used up by motor vehicle movements and free temporary storage.
It should be reconfigured on Saturdays with a narrow as possible passage for emergency vehicles only.
Of course viable disabled parking or at least safe drop off areas on C street are an ADA must.
Yes, and powered shopping carts for guests.
When an issue like this comes up, it’s good to look at the organization’s mission:
“Davis Farmers Market Alliance Mission
To educate and engage the public about nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and the economic value to our area of buying locally grown food and locally sourced products directly from growers and artisans. In this effort, the Davis Farmers Market Alliance connects and supports communities, local agriculture, farmers and artisan food producers.”
None of what is being discussed here is a part of the core mission of the Davis Farmers Market.
Don
The appropriateness of this narrow Mission is what is at stake in this issue. The mission has no legal standing and the board of DFMA can change it at will.
if that was realy their only narrow mission, they would not be having music on Wednesday nights- they would just lower their fee to farmers.
Todd: ” C Street between 3rd and 4th is used up by motor vehicle movements and free temporary storage.
It should be reconfigured on Saturdays with a narrow as possible passage for emergency vehicles only.”
The Farmers Market is a regional draw, so auto access and parking are necessary for it to succeed.
I agree. Not only that people need their cars fairly close so they can load up their purchases.. Without parking the market would see a big drop off in attendance.
Please tell me where I wrote “no parking allowed anywhere in downtown!” — I’m not suggesting any changes besides C Street between 3rd and 4th.
Don, I’m proposing two block faces. Downtown will still be overrun by cars like it is most weekends. In my experience, when I’ve driven to the market, there’s always plenty of space behind City Hall, adding to the fact that most vehicles don’t stay for very long, in general.
So much lack of understanding. Turns out Tuvia is closest.
Historically the Farmers market didn’t want free speech at all. I remember the water drop guy being told he couldn’t walk through the market handing out handbills protesting gravel mining on Cache Creek in the 90’s. It came to the City Council that the right to free speech at public markets in particular couldn’t be denied so the area I call “murderers row” was set up. Turns out the right of some nut job on a soap box at a public market was enshrined by the courts decades ago.
Years later the city built the new kiddie play area with a new fence that caused the free speech booths to impede the new narrower walkway between the street and the fence. Recently, the people in the booths started setting up in the street and parking cars across multiple parking spaces as one tent plus a car parked horizontally do not impede traffic. This colonization of the parking spaces ( incidentally both the Muslims and the Jews I spoke with at the market laughed at my use of the term colonization) likely caused the Market to act.
There is a simple solution. Have the free speech area at the bottom of the steps behind the Bike Museum. This will allow people to meander seamlessly between the vendors and the social advocates instead of isolating the activists across the lawn.
“so the area I call “murderers row” was set up.”
You aren’t going to tell us why you call it that?
“Recently, the people in the booths started setting up in the street and parking cars across multiple parking spaces as one tent plus a car parked horizontally do not impede traffic.”
Ok.
“This colonization of the parking spaces . . . likely caused the Market to act.”
This makes no sense. Why didn’t the market tell them not to park that way? Much simpler than moving everything.
“(incidentally both the Muslims and the Jews I spoke with at the market laughed at my use of the term colonization)”
Did you check with all sects of Muslims and Jews before making this statement? I understand that is very important in this town.
“Have the free speech area at the bottom of the steps behind the Bike Museum. This will allow people to meander seamlessly between the vendors and the social advocates instead of isolating the activists across the lawn.”
The main flow of market attendees is from north-south along C Street from 3rd to 5th. People may wander to the lawn or behind the bike museum, but either is off the beaten path. Either will likely create a death spiral for the education/information booths, as with lack of eyes comes lack of incentive to set up.
Maybe that’s what the Market and the City want.
I’ll tell people who ask privately why I call it Murderer’s Row but I’m not publishing the names to kick around people who left the public stage over a decade ago. It’s actually a pretty good story.
Randi didn’t bring up the parking but it was obvious to me that the way the booths were organically taking over the street was an issue. She had other reasons. One was something about the Natalie Corona fountain but I gave you my Occam’s Razor analysis that the simplest explanation is the best.
The Jews and Muslims I spoke to laughed.
I think the issue of free speech at the market was settled long ago. I’m confident that isn’t what is going on. It’s true that the north south flow is the best for making people run the gauntlet of Murderers Row but remember not everyone wants that experience.
Moving Murderers Row to a location adjacent to the market at the other end of the park seems like a reasonable alternative. It’s at least worth a try. Perhaps the community should try some different configurations to see what works best considering the many competing interests in a dynamic public space that fills with people each Saturday.
“a location adjacent to the market at the other end of the park seems like a reasonable alternative.”
???
You won’t tell us why it’s called Murderer’s Row, but then name it that three times more in one post. O . . . K
Ron. Is “nut job” on a soapbox a clinical diagnosis, or simply an opinion?
Depends on the individual.
There used to be a guy who worked for the county as a drug rehab counselor who always referred to people as nut jobs. His name was Carlos and he did stuff with Concilio. It’s from him that I got my rhetoric.
FREE SPEECH IS BACK, BABY
April 29th, Davis Enterprise: “Following feedback from participants including concerns about ADA accessibility, no shade, less foot traffic, fewer booths, no consultation beforehand, inadequate time to prepare for the new accommodations and more, Davis Farmers Market executive director Randii MacNear says that beginning this Saturday, May 3, the free speech area will be moved back to its original location along the C Street sidewalk.”
Yay, Beth Bourne gets her free speech podium back.
Not helping, KO!