Planned Downtown Farmers' Market Not Meant to Compete with Its Soulard Neighbor, Say Organizers

Patrick Horine, the man behind the new downtown farmers' market, which opens on Thursday, June 3 at the Old Post Office Plaza.

​The debut of a downtown farmers' market we told you about last month is aimed at a different crowd from the long-standing Soulard Farmer's Market, say its organizers.

Patrick Horine, who organizes the Tower Grove Farmers' Market and co-owns Local Harvest Grocery, and Maggie Campbell, president of Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, said Thursday that the downtown farmers' market is aimed at the "50,000 people" who work downtown.

Despite the proximity to Soulard, it's not meant as a competitor to its southerly neighbor, which operates its business Wednesday through Saturday, year-round.

While Horine and Campbell said they have not had conversations with Soulard's management about their new project, they are "being sensitive to the needs" of the landmark produce market.

The Soulard Farmers' Market is about 1.6 miles south of the Old Post Office, or a five-minute drive.

"We chose Thursday evening so there wouldn't be any competitive issues," Campbell said.

The downtown farmers' market will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. each Thursday at the Old Post Office Plaza, and runs from June 3 through October 21.

Horine was at press conference on Thursday morning at Flamingo Bowl, where announcements were made about other events scheduled for downtown this year, including music and food festivals.

He noted that the downtown farmers' market will include locally grown produce, meats and artisan cheeses from 30 Missouri and Illinois farmers within a 150-mile radius.