Interest Grows in Mendota Heights Farmers Market

Growing season in Minnesota means farmers markets full of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Mendoberri Café and Wine Bar co-owner Ann Ulrich wants Mendota Heights to bring a market to its own backyard. 

Ulrich planted the seed in Mendota Heights city councilmembers’ minds at the . During public comments, Ulrich, who owns Mendoberri with her husband Robert, presented an introductory outline of her vision to bring a market to The Village.

“Right now it’s just an idea,” Ulrich said before the meeting, “... There is already a buzz about it, so I want to clarify what my next steps would be to make it a reality.” 

Ulrich has put some thought into the plan and its advantages. “Ideally, we’d have 15-20 farmers and other vendors, food purveyors, artists,” she said. “The options are endless, but the main thing is to provide an option to foster community among citizens, as well as enhance the local business community and the local economy.”

When speaking to the council, Ulrich claimed that a 30 percent increase in retail sales occurs in the areas where farmers markets are established. Several tenants and businesses in the Village have pledged their support for the idea.

For Ulrich, whose own business relies on organic produce and other locally-sourced foods, she said the market concept represents a larger effort to encourage community spirit and environmental responsibility. 

“We might not have a 'Main Street' like a lot of towns, but we have Market Square Park and the Village, and it would be a wonderful opportunity to foster relationships with neighbors and bring the community together,” Ulrich explained, “And we can do this while also cutting down on food grown with toxic chemicals, cutting down on excessive transportation and packaging. It could help reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint as a whole.”

The plan is not without disadvantages, however. Specific location at the Village, an appropriate day and time, parking, traffic, suppliers entering and exiting, setting up of tents, and wear and tear on the area would all have to be taken into account. Not competing with farmers markets in surrounding communities would also be a priority for Ulrich.

“The devil will be in the details,” Ulrich said, pointing out that market plans will have to take all stakeholders, including Village ownership, Village businesses, the council, and residents into account.

Response at the city council meeting was cautiously optimistic, with Mayor Sandra Krebsbach and councilmembers Ultan Duggan, Jack Vitelli, and Liz Petschel all voicing some level of interest in the idea. The council encouraged Ulrich to assemble a group of Village businesses to create a formal proposal.

“I support the idea and it would be a wonderful addition to the community,” Duggan said.