The South Pas Chamber of Commerce posted on their blog today that they’ve “made the first cut in the contest to run the local Farmers’ Market.” I asked Scott Feldmann a few questions about the Chamber’s interest in the market, and he was kind enough to humor me. Q&A after the jump.

Since the original operator folded, who has been running the Farmers Market in the interim?

Raw Inspirations has been running the market since mid-October.

Why is the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce interested in running the Farmers Market?

The Chamber wants to keep the market local. We think that a Farmers’ Market run by the Chamber benefit from our roots in the community. For instance, we’ll work hard to complement neighboring businesses and restaurants, not compete. We’ll extend connectivity with the public schools through gardening programs, fundraising efforts and community service hour opportunities. And we’ll open up the Market to become a virtual town square for Green ideas by highlighting City and Community outreach on sustainability.

We’re also interested in ploughing proceeds from an effective Farmers’ Market back into the community by promoting the market as well as the community.

What, if anything, would the Chamber like to improve in the Farmers Market?

The Chamber hopes to expand the produce and agricultural offerings, especially in the organic arena. We want to retain the festive environment and the food because families and friends love it. But we think it has perhaps become a bit too much of a food court over the years, and not enough of a mecca for foodies and healthy living devotees.

We’d also like to see the Market become a gathering spot and an idea exchange. This is why we’ve made inroads with PCC, USC, California School Gardens Network and others to prepare the “Environmentality Tents” where new ideas and green living products and services can be introduced.

Finally, we’d like to offer local business people a spot in the Market. The Farmers are essentially guests for a day on the local business doorstep. Yet they pay no local sales tax, property tax or Business Improvement Tax, or any of the freight that local merchants do. So we hope that operators who want to take an evening away from their usual storefront and set up a tent to talk to the Farmers’ Market patrons will do so.

What kind of timeline are you looking at for this application process? Is there another step if you get approval from the citizens committee?

We made the first cut for interviews, so we’ll do that on April 1, alongside two others. After that there are negotiations, and a public meeting at City Council. Whoever is selected will probably assume control of the Market — or retain control of it as the case may be — starting in May 2010.