Peterborough's two downtown farmers' markets are teaming up.

The Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market, which operates Wednesdays from spring to fall, will join with the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market, which runs Saturdays at the Citi Centre from spring to fall and indoors at Peterborough Square in winter.

"The board of directors of the Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market (PDFM) is pleased to announce its decision to join the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Network (PRFN) and to operate alongside the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market (PRFM)," states a press release issued Friday. "Both markets share a vision of branding downtown Peterborough as a market destination, with economic benefits to farmers and the broader community."

The downtown market has been running for 20 years at different locations, most recently on a closed-off section of Charlotte Street after several years in the Louis Street Parking Lot, which is being turned into a park.

The PRFM began operations in 2018 after several vendors were ousted from the Morrow Park market after long-running disputes about transparency and the origin of goods being sold as "local," among other factors. They banded together to launch a competitor market.

Like the Wednesday market, the PRFM's vendors sell only locally grown or sourced products, with nothing trucked in from outside the Peterborough area.

"The PRFN's commitment to transparent business practices through third-party farmer verification will be a key feature of the relationship," states the press release.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to build on our successful downtown Wednesday market," stated Trevor Riel, a member of the PDFM board, in the press release. "I believe that, together, we can be a key part of the identity of downtown Peterborough."

"I'm really looking forward to working with the PDFM," stated Julie Fleming, chair of PRFN, in the same release. "Working to implement a shared vision will result in a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts."

The two markets remain separate from the long-running Peterborough and District Farmers' Market, which operates at Morrow Park (and indoors at the Morrow Building in winter) on Saturdays.

The Morrow Park group's operation of the Saturday market, which is run on city-owned land, has been reviewed by the city. The city has conducted a study to determine what taxpayers want from a farmers' market on city property, which included definitions of the phrase "locally grown."

The current board and the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market board are the two candidates working to land the contract, The Examiner reported in October.

The deal would be for three years, with an option to renew for three more.

A decision was originally expected by Dec. 4 but was later pushed back. Peterborough This Week reported in November that whoever is awarded the contract takes over in May.

Meanwhile, the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market will hold a special Winter Night Market Saturday.

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It will happen from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the market's usual weekly winter location, downstairs at Peterborough Square.

Market vendors will also be on hand earlier for the regular morning market.