WEST CAPE MAY — Summer in Cape May doesn’t just mean beautiful sunsets and long beach days — it also marks the reopening of the West Cape May Farm Market.
The borough recently opened its vendor applications to the public and is accepting applications for full summer slots and pop-up slots for businesses that can’t commit to the whole season.
This is the 24th annual market, and Deputy Borough Clerk Erin Seer has been coordinator for the past three summers.
The market began in 2001 when Diane Rea of Rea’s Farm applied for and received a grant to create the market. They began with 10 vendors in the Borough Hall parking lot. After growing into the Backyard Park, the market expanded into the side parking lot in 2015.
The borough typically receives about 30 applications, and while the vetting process isn’t exclusive, the market has a competition-free value. That means that besides farm stands, the market will not have more than one vendor selling the same product.
“We have a committee of volunteers that reviews applications,” Seer said. “Our farm market is not a competitive market, so we try to promote variety.”
That promotes variety in goods and eliminates any possible tension between businesses. Seer explained that it makes the market unique from others because they have diverse vendors.
“There is not a surplus of vendors,” Seer said. “It makes all of them very unique and great to stop and see. No one vendor is like the other.”
Seer and the volunteers prioritize vendors who make or sell homemade products.
“We do keep it open to everyone who applies,” Seer said. “But we try to have it where things are being hand-made, not necessarily just local, but people who are creating things themselves. Not businesses that are buying it from someone and reselling it.”
By emphasizing small businesses, the market acts as a steppingstone for some and gives new vendors the push they need to create a customer base.
“There are a couple of vendors who are no longer at our farm market because they’ve established their business so much that they now have a storefront somewhere,” Seer said. “But they started at our farm market. Sometimes local talent will start small and end up growing as well.”
The market has a variety of food trucks, farm stands and products for sale. The farm stands are always popular, Seer said, especially ones that sell fresh flowers.
The market’s catch phrase, “no cook Tuesdays,” invites families to enjoy dinner at the market one day a week.
Patrons can look forward to the live music at the market because this summer, there will be more speakers, allowing music to be heard around the grounds.
Seer explained that during previous summers, music could be heard only around the back of the venue.
Applications are available at westcapemay.us.
The West Cape May Farm Market will kickstart the summer from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 24 and continue every Tuesday until Aug. 26.
By JULIA DiGERONIMO/For the Star and Wave
