The Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market, a popular weekly exchange where local vendors sell their goods, will experience a management change soon. The Greensboro City Council recently asked for proposals from groups wishing to manage the market, according to Yes! Weekly. Currently, the market is managed by the city of Greensboro.

“This is an opportunity to find someone out there who can manage the market better than we’re currently doing,” said Director of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department Greg Jackson. “It’s not uncommon for public organizations to seek an outside service provider.”

“It’s kind of a thorn in the side for the city,” said Daniel Woodham, Goat Lady Farm manager. “They don’t want to have much to do with managing it and just want to take care of the infrastructure.”

The solicitation for proposals received four responses, including one from a non-profit group called Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc., according to Jackson.

The non-profit is headed by partners David Craft and Charles Brummitt. Yes! Weekly reports that the pair made a presentation to vendors on Feb. 23, where they proposed that the market be community-led.

“We believe the market in Greensboro is a community asset and should be run on behalf of the community as well as the vendors who sell at the market,” said Brummitt, according to The Business Journal.

Though the proposal centers on a community base, it does not cut out vendors. Vendors would be at least one third of the board under the non-profit’s plan, according to Yes! Weekly. Additionally, the plan includes a vendor advisory board and a community board to encourage input.

“I think it’s the best move for the market, not just because it’s a non-profit, but because it would be managed by both vendors and consumers from the larger community,” said Woodham.

“This proposal recognizes that without the vendors and customers, we don’t have a viable market,” said David Wright of Real Catering, according to Yes! Weekly.

“I think we need a cooperative style of management that will positively fuel the market,” said junior Layth Awartani, whose family owns Zaytoon Mediterranean Café and is a vendor at the Curb Market. “(We need) people that are not personally financially driven, but are driven by the desire to support local, organic and fair-trade products.”

Yes! Weekly reports that the proposal was well-received by many vendors. However, some still have concerns.

“Personally, I’d like to see it stay the way it is … maybe give more authority to the vendor advisory board and let it govern itself,” said Mike Faucette of Faucette Farms. “I’m not comfortable with someone else’s management because we don’t know what’s going to happen down the road.”

There are also some connections between proposal-makers Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc. and Friends of the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market, a group that has a contract to supply food plates and coordinate event planning, among other duties, according to Yes! Weekly.

However, a recent audit shows that the Friends of the GFCM has not spent any money on improving the market, according to The Rhinoceros Times. Instead, they have spent money from fundraisers on more fundraisers.

The Friends of the GFCM paid the initial $2,000 fee for Greensboro Farmers’ Market, Inc. to submit its proposal. The Rhinoceros Times reports that Craft’s organization initially considered running the market through Friends of the GFCM, but later decided against it. Although Craft claims that the two groups are not associated with one another, the principal members of Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc. are also members of the Friends of the GFCM.Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc has since repaid the $2,000.

Though Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc. has cut ties with Friends of the GFCM, this former connection may make things difficult for Greensboro Farmers’ Market Inc.

Many vendors do not have a good relationship with Friends of the GFCM. In addition to not improving the market, a member of the Friends of the GFCM has repeatedly said that six farmers in the market should be expelled, according to The Rhinoceros Times.

A committee of citizens will review the proposals and make a recommendation in April, according to Jackson. With the current timeline, the selected group will take over management of the market on July 1.