By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times

Big changes are coming for the Coatesville Farmers Market, which will relocate near Brandywine Hospital after two seasons at Gateway Park in the city.

Organizer Yvonne Post said that despite intensive efforts to involve the downtown community – such as offering free space to vendors who live in the city, providing discounts and coupons for purchases, giving jobs to young people from the city, and featuring groups from the city to perform – many residents attended sporadically, not regularly.

“To maintain the Coatesville Farmers Market, the group needed to consider the livelihoods of farmers and producers as the market charted no growth from year one to year two,” Post said. “For a Saturday market on the best sales day of the week, there is a responsibility to vendors to provide a sustainable amount of business.”

Post said a few vendors had decided not to return to the Coatesville Farmers Market for the 2014 season.  So when Brandywine Hospital contacted the Coatesville Farmers Market Association (CFMA) about starting its own farmers’ market, it seemed like “a perfect time and opportunity to keep Coatesville Farmers Market growing and serving our community,” she said.

Hours at the new venue – in the parking lot to the right of the hospital’s main entrance, visible from Fisher and Reeceville Roads – will be from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 4 through October, Post said.

She said the new location would offer “even greater outreach to people in need, a highly visible site, sharing marketing with the hospital and offering direct access for the hospital (employees, visitors and outpatients), the VA hospital, three nearby schools, the Brandywine YMCA, and a growing local residential community.”

Post said the Coatesville Link could provide reliable transportation to increase access for many in the city who could not easily get down to Gateway Park. “The market can now thrive,” Post added.

The opening date was chosen deliberately – the week after the hospital’s annual Strawberry Festival – so “we could utilize the festival for getting the word out,” Post said. She said most of the people with whom she’s shared the news about the changes have been enthusiastic. She expressed thanks to the “outstanding loyal market community” that has continued to support to effort.

“The CFMA feels a responsibility to their community to keep this market thriving by continuing to open up new opportunities for additional vendors and products and making local food and products available year-round,” said Post. “A Wednesday afternoon time slot provides an opportunity for more vendors to be participate and makes the most of the new location.”

In the meantime, the market’s winter schedule will continue through the spring. On designated Saturdays, patrons can pick up orders that need to be placed by noon the preceding Thursday. Orders can be placed by phone or email to the vendors. Patrons who subscribe to the market’s email newsletter will receive a listing on Monday of the items available from a variety of vendors.

Orders will be ready for pick-up between 10:30 a.m. and noon at Vollmecke Orchards and CSA, 155 Cedar Knoll Rd., Coatesville. Vendors all accept Visa, Master Card, Discover, FMNP and SNAP/ACCESS as well as cash.

To subscribe to the newsletter, email coatesvillefarmersmarket@gmail.com. For more information, visithttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Coatesville-Farmers-Market/172234489572582?fref=ts.