The future of the Hale‘iwa Farmers Market was left in doubt Friday after Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced that "No Trespassing" signs have been installed along the Haleiwa bypass road where the market had been operating for the past three years.

Some 60 vendors were preparing for Sunday’s market but organizers said they now "have no idea" what will happen next.

"We are stunned," said Annie Suite, one of the market managers. "Absolutely stunned. In this time of economic upheaval, it is difficult to believe that a simple roadblock cannot be erected to overcome this legality and allow 60 legal small businesses to continue to flourish until a permanent location is found. We have been operating legally on this property for three years. We have offered to pay the state since day one. We have had no issues with safety."

But Abercrombie said the market had been operating on a triangular area at the junction of Kamehameha Highway and Joseph P. Leong Highway where vending is prohibited under state law.

Several locations, including the Waialua Sugar Mill, city parks and local schools, were rejected by farmers market organizers as alternative locations over the past several months, Abercrombie said.

He pointed out that two farmers markets continue to operate on Saturdays in nearby Waialua and Sunset Beach and support the sale and promotion of locally grown food.

"Between open markets and farmers markets all across the state we’re able to come to an accommodation, but I think there’s been some difficulty in understanding that this was a business proposition for a couple of people out there and we just were not able to come to a conclusion for them," Abercrombie said. "So I think the farmers will be working with (City Council Chairman) Ernie Martin and the Farm Bureau and others to find an appropriate venue. To the degree other vendors can be accommodated, I’m sure they will be, but we’re through with that particular attempt. When people simply don’t want to say ‘Yes,’ it’s very, very difficult to come to an accommodation. It takes two to negotiate."

Market manager Pamela Boyar said in a statement, "The governor assured us that we would not miss a market day, so this change of events is a big surprise to us."

Boyar and Suite said in their statement that each of three alternative sites suggested by state officials "comes with unique obstacles."

"For two months, Hale‘iwa Farmers Market has requested multiple meetings with Gov. Abercrombie to provide community input and accurate information regarding the operation, but to date there has been no offer to meet or the courtesy of a return phone call," they said.