While the monthly craft market at The Channon Village won’t be returning any time soon, the market management committee is preparing for some big changes over the next few weeks. 

Market manager Robyn Kelly said the committee was in consultation with the Channon Village residents to put on a local farmers’ market instead, but needed to work out which day would suit it best.

As well as this, Robyn said a new online directory of regular Channon Craft Market stall holders was about to be launched in the next few weeks, with an online shop to follow a few months later. 

“The Channon market brings in about 4000 people into the village every month,” Robyn said. “Even when the next level of reduced restrictions comes into place, there’s no way we can manage a market restricted to 500 people.

“We usually have 240 stall holders as well as at least 20 staff – there’s no way we could have tourists too. That would be bigger than Ben Hur."

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Weekly market

Instead of running the eclectic Channon Craft Market we all know and love every second Sunday of the month, the committee wants to establish a weekly local farmers market, just like Blue Knob, Lismore and other places have.

“We can hold a market selling plants, seedlings and food produce – that’s allowed under the current restrictions – but we can’t sell crafts and clothes like the Sunday market would have,” Robyn said. 

“Another farmers’ market could make for a bit more competition for sellers in the area, but it will benefit the region and promote economic growth and let local producers have a place to sell from.”

Online directory

Robyn said she had been receiving calls from people trying to locate stall holders who would normally sell wares at the market – and this sparked the idea of creating an online directory.

“It will open up so much for the region by linking everyone up and having a regional map,” she said.

“I imagine people could map their weekends and visit businesses and cottage industries on a tour of the rainbow region and hinterlands.

“We can also promote cottage industries and small businesses in the CBD – lots are family businesses.

Online shop

“The Channon market was established 44 years ago and we’ve change to a new world now. 

“The market has moved on from having hand drawn newsletters to online shopping.

“But not all retailers might want to take it up selling through an online shop.

“It depends if their products are shippable – but at least the contact will be made between the seller and customer.

Community and the future

Robyn said the committee and crew that runs the Channon market are made up of mostly volunteers, with a handful of paid workers.

But, luckily, the Government’s Jobkeeper package enabled seven of the market crew to stay on the books and they have been using the Covid downtime to revitalise the market site. 

“The committee put money aside for a project we wanted to do and this covered the first payment for Jobkeeper and we put the money back into there afterwards,” Robyn said.

“Like elves in the workshops producing for Christmas, we’ve been working and preparing for the future.

“We got our staff doing tasks we would have loved to do in the last 44 years.

“Painting the inside of the stone council toilets, replacing furniture at Coronaion Park. They also gurnied the concrete paths.

“We also worked with Hugh and Nan Nicolson to get another grant for bush regeneration from Robinsons Bridge to Hugh and Nan’s at the back.

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Bullet proof plan

“We want to make a bullet proof plan to create what we want for our community - and it will take all of us to do it.

“Our volunteer market committee has been under financial stress for a while.

“We suffered loss in the floods in February and we wondered what to do to create more income - so when Covid happened, it was so scary.

Revitalise

Robyn said it was important to revitalise the cottage industry businesses that were the backbone of the Channon Craft Market.

“We have the community behind us and we did some strategic planning with Council two months ago.

“They are supportive and we have policies and procedures in place to support a farmers market and an online directory and shop being established.

“Without council support, the market couldn’t be where it was for the last 18 years. I take my hat off to them- we are a demanding community with long roads.

“It’s a huge area for council to look after progressive community in.”