BOWDOIN ST Farmers Market

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    BOWDOIN ST. FARMERS MARKET

    The Bowdoin St. Market in Dorchester is an effort of the Bowdoin St. Health Center as well asThe Food Project. The Health Center teams with local businesses and other community basedagencies to identify and design programs that address community health concerns, including

    nutritional services.

    Flats Mentor Farm, located in Lancaster, MA, is dedicated to supporting immigrant farmersdevelop sustainable farming enterprises. Farmers growing at the Flats currently sell at 40markets around Greater Boston. As a farm that is committed to opening up the local foodsmovement to those otherwise left out, it was important to attempt to support new markets such asthe one at the Bowdoin St. Health Center. 2008, the first year of the market (??), a farmer fromthe Flats attempted to sell at the market. Attendance & sales were so low that the farmer couldnot sell enough produce to pay gas to drive in to city from Lancaster, (~80 miles round trip), anddecided to not return.

    This year, a new system was put in place. Due to the inevitable low attendance of a new (years 1-3) market it is not economically viable for farmers to have typical a stand there. Instead, the foodwas dropped of by a marketing intern (myself) and sold by high school interns working thissummer with the Manager of Community Health to raise neighborhood awareness about thenutritional benefits of shopping at farmers markets. Under this model, the farmers could sellvegetables at a reasonable retail/ farm stand price without the typical trade-offs of selling at afarmers market (time commitment, cost of stand, fuel, etc.)

    The helath center was willing to supply materials- they requested that the farm send an inventorylist of all things needed for a farm stand. Instead, FMF dropped off materials to use tables,food bins, signs, recipies, markers, index cards, etc. were stored in a closet at the helath center.

    It is important to pay attention to what the market demands before selecting what produce tobring. The variety of Asian crops that gives FMF stands an edge at many of the well establishedmarkets across Cambridge and Boston does not hold the same weight at a new market.Customers unaccustomed to shopping at farmers markets are often unfamiliar with what regionalfarms have to offer, and are often hesitant about the appearance of food grown in non-industrialpolycultures. Our strategy was to bring a small amount of a variety of crops, about 5 bunches of7-10 different items. This would provide varittey of choices as well as serve as an educationalshowcase of what is being grown.

    At an average price of around 2.25 per bunch, we typically brought about $100 dollars worth ofproduce to the market. For the first few weeks, we only sold about half the produce we brought.While some items (scallions) sold consistently, other items we had to reduce to three bunches thenext week. Because of the educational nature of bringing a variety of produce to a new market,it is important to stick it out and continue to bring items that did not sell the week before. Sincethe attendance was so low initially, our sales numbers were not sufficient to make definiteprojections from- for example; we brought 10 bunches of lettuce but only sold 1. We did nothowever to decide not to bring lettuce back at all instead we continued to bring between 3-5buches. As attendance grew over the weeks, we increased sales to 4 bunhes. Progress is visible

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    but progress is SLOW and it is SMALL. For independant farmers dealing with larger markets,trying to survive off their vegetable sales, there is simply no incentive for them to drive 80 milesround trip and spend 5-6 hours to bring 100 dollars worth of produce and leave with $75 inpocket.

    Individuals, agencies, etc that have an interest in community nutrition, environmentalism orotherwise want to do good for their community through increasing the availability of local foodsmust understand these realities of a beginning market. In recent years, the officialas in food andhealth policy have taken actions to put money towards subsidizing farmers markets, so they canbe more economically viable in low-income communities. As is the case with the Bowdoin stmarket, the health center pays an indivudual to organize the market, raise community awarnessof the importance of the market, supervise the stand at market, and work with high school internson these points. The citys Bounty Bucks program, as well as wic coupons and farmers marketcoupons all subsidize local food so that a farmer can get paid a good price, and residents can getmore for their money at a farmers market than at a conventional grocer.

    The Food Project is a very important partner in the initive to get fresh food into urban areas ofMassachsetts. They are dedicated to [selling their] sustainably grown vegetables as affordablyas possible aiming to match the prices of conventionally grown vegetables at localsupermarkets or bodegas. A well funded non profit organization, TFP is able to start newmarkets in locations in Lynn, Roxbury and Dorchester, sell food at low price and donate what isnot sold to food pantries. This model however does pose an added challenge to sustainablegrowers who would like to support the market by selling along side them, but rely on producesales for their income and therefore cannot compete with the conventional produce based pricing.

    The small farmer remains a missing link in the reform of the urban food system. Farmers mustbe included when meetings between agencies are held.. They must be given financial incentive topave the way for inner city farmers markets, or it will remain only economically feasible toserve middle and upper class neighborhoods alone. It is known that it takes 3-5 years for amarket to get off the ground. This is in part because a new market faces the classic dilemma ofthe chicken or the egg. Many more people will come to a market that has a wide range ofvendors, rather than just two stands as was the case at Bowdoin St. this year. (Flats mentor Farm& The Food Project) Many vendors however will not bring to a market unless they are confidentthat it will be well attended. This dilemma is coupled with the fact that it simply takes time forpeople to change their shopping habits.

    How then, can the interests of small sustainable farms be included in continuing efforts to makethe local foods movement more inclusive?

    -One possible incentive would be for the new market organizers to use some of theirfunds to guarentee to buy a set limit of leftovers from the farmer at the end of the market. Theproduce could be donated, or slightly marked down and sold to a private food service enterprise.FMFs Bowdoin St. iniative atemted to make this connection with Glynn Lloyd of City FreshFoods a food service company located on Bowdoin St. that includes in its mission the beliefthat business is a powerful vehicle for empowering our youth, developing the community, andnurturing the environment, steering them to make Purchases from local organic farmers inseason to use the freshest natural ingredients. While they are willing to be a partner in the

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    future, FMF was unable to make to do business with them during the pilot program due to issuesof planning/timing, communication between the farm and City Fresh regarding what produceitems city fresh could use in their menu, as well as personelle shifts at the farm and health centerthat complicated the process. These can be avoided if arrangements are made earlir next year.

    -Vendors participating in new markets must work together to draw more customers to the

    market, rather than compete. New market organizers should facilitate this process. The FoodProject is a good example of this effort by being responsible for EBT machienes and bountybucks. The Food Project perhaps could support small farmers by adjusting their prices towardswhat is viable for the farmer. Bounty buck subsidizies, especially if expanded to WIC will ensureaffordability at the market. Storage, preparation, and simple recipes should be provided for allproduce coming to the market.

    -A new market plan for the state of Massachusetts may be useful. Markets could follow a4 to 5 plan

    year 1: The Food Project, or similar non-profit runs a stand. Stand can be supplementedby other growers/ bakers etc. to maxamize variety. These supplemental items should bepurchased by organization (or market organizer) to ensure that farmer does not suffer losses.

    Stand must accept subsidy coupons. Bounty bucks program must be in place.Year 2: Two more farms should be join TFP at the market. Some funds should be used topurchase left overs, or otherwise support the farms. Bounty dollars still critical.

    Year 3. Two more farms join the market. Funds are now divided by an increased numberof vendors, but increased attendance makes sales more viable. Bounty dollars still critical.

    Year 4: If market is running successfully, TFP may not be needed- efforts may be morenneeded at a new new market. If high attendance has been documented, farms receive nofinancial incentives, and may be asked to pay a small fee. Bounty dollars still critical.