The Austin Area Farmers’ Market is suddenly under new leadership.

Board President Tessa Davis and Vice President Kirk Ulland walked out of a board meeting on March 12 after announcing their resignation. Davis and Ulland cited difficulties on the board, though some board members were confused as to why they left, said Heidi Harrabi, who took over as board president.

“We don’t really know,” she said. “They just said that they felt there was a division.”

Harrabi said Davis and Ulland had been opposed to the farmers market’s new location, which was decided in February to be at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Fourth Street Northeast, where Budget Oil used to be.

Neither Davis nor Ulland could be reached for comment.

The area they use at the mall is up for lease, and was not handicap accessible. Harrabi said the benefits of the new location include good proximity to parking and to a busy street, in addition to better access for the handicapped.

“We just wanted somewhere we could go where we didn’t have to worry about it,” she said.

Davis and Ulland have stopped their membership to the farmers market, Harrabi said. Each had been a member in the past, but they were still new to the board when they decided to resign.

“They’d only been on for three weeks,” she said.

Harrabi said she was approached a few days later to see if she was interested in taking over as president, and the board passed a vote to elect her. There will not be a replacement for the other empty spot.

“We eliminated the position of vice president,” she said.

Harrabi said she was excited to open up the farmers market on May 16 and to work with the community.

“We’re really looking ahead to a positive new start,” she said.