Fort Myers City Council approves new farmers market | Lee County

A new downtown Fort Myers Farmers Market is on track to begin Jan. 17 after City Council approved a management agreement with Local Roots LLC, which operates markets across Southwest Florida.

The market is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. along First Street from Monroe to Broadway, and from Broadway to Main Street. It is expected to run from January through at least April, organizers said, potentially with a smaller footprint in the off-season.

Local Roots signed up 42 vendors for the market’s debut, 78% of whom are agricultural or food vendors. The city’s contract with Local Roots runs for two years with three one-year renewal options. It requires at least 40% of the vendors to sell food or agricultural products, such as produce, plants, meat, seafood, banked goods or dairy; and no more than 20% may fall into any single nonagricultural category unless approved by the city.

Local Roots also strives to offer a majority of locally grown produce, with signs indicating when it comes from outside the area.