Ascending the steep incline of Pali High’s student parking lot, now home to the Palisades Farmers Market, one can easily overlook the yet steeper uphill climb that many of the vendors are bound to face in coming months.

The market’s new location has brought on a host of problems for vendors. One vendor, Smit Farms (which makes a two-hour commute from San Diego), has seen revenue drop from $3,000 to $500 from their sales over the five-hour selling period. They believe this is a direct result of the change of location from Swarthmore Ave., located in the heart of the village and within walking distance of many Palisadian residents’ homes, to Pali’s parking lot, a much more “out of the way” spot.  

Yet not all vendors are experiencing the same detrimental changes as Smit Farms. Sanchez Farms, from Santa Maria, has seen an increase in profits since the change of location. They attribute this to their prime location near the entrance of the market. They also speculated that the steep gradient of the hill on which the market is located deters older customers from walking the length of the market. Instead, they opt for the vendors at the markets entrance.

Aside from the less convenient location, parking is also an issue for customers and vendors alike. The market’s former location had an abundance of available parking; the new location does not. Walking around the market, one can hear multiple conversations about how difficult it is to find a parking spot that is close by.