Author Mandy Hale has this to say about change: “Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”

That pretty much sums up the conflicting feelings when it was announced almost a year and a half ago that the Franklin Farmers Market was being forced to move after more than 20 years in its spot behind The Factory in Franklin.

In 2021, Holladay Properties bought The Factory and unveiled its plans to redevelop the property. The farmers market originally was told it wouldn’t be affected. And then it was. The market’s lease on the space expires Jan. 1. Holladay offered to move the market to another location on the property, but that would have effectively stopped the market from growing. And it had been growing by leaps and bounds for years.

And, truth be told, as much as patrons were comfortably accustomed to heading to the large shed that houses much of the market, it had probably already outgrown the space. “It’s too crowded and parking is too inadequate for me at The Factory,” says customer Ginny Brewer. “I’ll be going back when it moves.”

The whole thing put market manager Amy Tavalin in a bit of a pickle. All of a sudden, at least for the moment, she had nowhere to go and no way to get there. “We just turned over every rock we could think of,” she says. “We met with the county mayor and the city mayor.”

A number of sites were considered, but then the perfect place presented itself – Franklin First United Methodist Church, only a little over a mile away. The church already had a relationship with the farmers market. It picks up thousands of pounds of leftover food from the market and distributes it through their Giving Garden program.

Now that the market had a new home, Tavalin had to learn to navigate through the complicated process of permitting the new site for its use.

“It has been a process,” she says. “We’re building in the historic zone of the city so we had to go through all the historic zoning meetings. But they were great. We went before the commission with our architect and we fixed what they wanted. Then we had to pass a zoning ordinance. And then they invited people for and against it to come and speak. Everybody was in full support. The next step is to get a building permit.”

The market will have a new shed with dedicated restrooms, electricity and water. It will also have a public address system so Tavalin can give up her small bullhorn for a microphone when any announcements need to be made.

“We are going to end up better,” she says. “I’ve gotten through the cycles of grief, disbelief, anger and sadness. We don’t feel like we’re leaving on bad terms. We’re not complaining about it. It’s time to go. We’re losing loyal customers because of the lack of parking.”

And after going through those same stages of grief, those loyal customers are now rejoicing.

“I go two to three times a month, and almost every Saturday in the summer,” says customer Cindy Thomsen. “In addition to produce, I buy beef, pork, eggs, candles, hummus, lotion, seafood, pretzels, flowers, tea (fabulous hibiscus and mint) and whatever else catches my eye. I love the thought of it moving to the Methodist Church.”

Sarah Karpie is also ready to go. “I am going to support the Franklin Farmers Market wherever it sets up. I am a big fan. My favorite buys are arugula, Ezekiel bread, trout dip, Nashville Hot Sauce, vegetable and herb plants, green leafy veggies and beets. Is it Saturday yet?”