By RICK A. RICHARDS
Indiana Correspondent

ELKHART, Ind. — Two weeks ago when the investors who own American Countryside Farmers’ Market announced the business would close Sept. 4, few of the 100 or so vendors remaining inside the 51,000 square-foot, three-story building were surprised.

Sylvia DeVincent, one of the operators of Abe’s Wood Shop of Goshen, Ind., on the second floor, said she expected the announcement. “I’ve been here two years and when I started, there wasn’t a single empty booth.”

But with the onset of the economic downturn in 2008, more and more empty spots started showing up among the 490 indoor and outdoor booth spaces. “You can’t blame the market, you can’t blame the customers,” said DeVincent. “It’s the economy. Look around. There aren’t that many vendors or customers any more.

“I knew the announcement was coming. I knew it in my heart. I told my boyfriend it wouldn’t be open after October. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Even though she expected the announcement, DeVincent said that didn’t make dealing with it any easier. “I haven’t cried yet, but I will,” she said. “I don’t want to be here on the last day. It will be too hard. That’s why I’m moving out before the end of August.”

DeVincent, who makes wire-wrapped jewelry in the space occupied by her boyfriend, Abraham Acevedo, said she plans to eventually open her own place. In the meantime, she’s going to sell her goods online and become a regular at area festivals.

Judy Thurber, however, was surprised by the announcement. “I was very shocked when they announced they were closing,” said Thurber, owner of Blue Lakeside Treasures in Middlebury, Ind.

“When it first opened, they had vendor after vendor after vendor in here and out in the parking lot.

“What happened? The economy went south,” she said.

Thurber added she will stay until the end and is making deals on her glassware, trying to sell as much as possible before it’s time to pack up and move out.

“I’ve done very well here. I’ve enjoyed it,” she said. “We’ve made some good friends. It’s sad, very sad.”

American Countryside Farmers’ Market occupies 15 acres at the corner of State Road 19 and County Road 26, just south of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway that connects South Bend and Elkhart.

According to the market’s website, the development was the vision of four investors – farmer Kenny BeMiller, architect LeRoy Troyer, developer Art Moser and attorney Mick Tuesley. It opened in May 2007 as one part of a development that was to eventually include 200 acres of housing, an indoor sports complex and an indoor water park.

The initial development for American Country Farmers’ Market was put at $4 million. The rustic-style building was constructed using mostly Amish labor, and several of its food and quilt vendors are Amish.

Stated on its website, the mission for the market was “to create a setting that embodies the values and replicates the rural environment of northern Indiana where families, as producers, consumers and entrepreneurs can jointly experience an opportunity for their business enterprise to expand and grow.”

It was a lofty mission that became a victim of the down economy that ravaged Elkhart County. At one time, Elkhart County had the highest unemployment in the nation, which prompted President Obama to visit the county twice, promising an influx of stimulus dollars.

Things have improved somewhat, but the recreational vehicle industry – which was the backbone of the Elkhart County industrial economy – is operating at a fraction of what it was.

Officials with American Countryside Farmers’ Market have not commented publicly about the closing, except through a prepared statement announcing the closing. In it, they said the market has operated in an economy that “has proved challenging to both startup and established businesses alike.”

Dale Weaver, president of the market’s board of managers, said in the release, “We need to step back and refocus our efforts on a more sustainable business model given the assets at our disposal. We will explore other opportunities in the months ahead.”

Bryan Williams, owner of Trailhead Mercantile, a fishing and hunting supply retailer based in Niles, Mich., said he had a sense the market was about to close. He said one criticism he had heard was that American Countryside Farmers’ Market was more of a craft and homemade food emporium and not a true farmers’ market.

Although there is room for hundreds of vendors selling fruits and vegetables in an asphalt sales lot outside the building, on Aug. 4 there wasn’t a single vendor outside or inside selling fresh produce. The market is open weekly on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“If you have any sense as a businessperson, you knew there wasn’t enough traffic in here to support everyone,” said Williams.

He said he had already planned to move to a downtown Niles location, but decided to delay the move until the market closes. “We’ve had a lot of people in here checking the place out since the announcement,” he said.

Williams said vendors were well aware of the proposed indoor water park and the other development plans and were hopeful it would happen.

“Vendors thought it would be great, if it happened,” said Williams, “but the economy hammered us. What I’m going to miss is the camaraderie here. I won’t be able to walk two feet away and talk to Rose (Miller, the neighboring quilt vendor). It’s like a big family breaking up.

“The story isn’t that the market is closing. What’s really happening is 20 or 30 businesses are going out into the community. It’s small businesses opening somewhere else. It’s sad, but I think it will stimulate local economies in a way.”

Williams’ neighbor has been a part of American Countryside Farmers’ Market since it opened. “There used to be a lot more people. It was bustling,” Miller said, adding that after it closes, she will close up her business, Homestead Quilts.

“I hope to sell everything off. It’s disappointing, but it wasn’t surprising,” she explained.

Antique vendor Joe Kohler said he was surprised by the announcement. “I don’t know about a big shock, but it was a shock,” he said. “I’m going to miss the interaction with other people here.

“I really do enjoy coming here. It was like one big happy family.”