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Boston Public Market
A place to connect and learn
by Melissa Rowe
I
must admit , I only recently discovered the Boston Public Market . Now this is not to be confused with the Boston Public Gardens or Haymarket , both wonderful places in their own right . Boston Public Market is new ... just a little more than a year old . It ’ s located right in the heart of the city , a stone ’ s throw from Faneuil Hall , the North End , and Government Center . And it ’ s well worth a visit !
Boston Public Market has created a permanent retail space for local farmers , fish mongers , butchers , cheesemakers , beekeepers , artisans and more . This is their storefront … and more than 40 New England vendors , the vast majority hailing from Massachusetts , are calling it home . Some of the booths are manned by farmers themselves , all feature locally grown or sourced products , and everything is at the peak of freshness , often picked that very morning . It ’ s like the very best farmer ' s market , but open
18 GROW ! BOSTON every day of the year . BPM operates as a non-profit and through a variety of sources supports local food producers and entrepreneurs . They seek to educate , inform and influence change .
I reached out to the CEO , Cheryl Cronin , to talk about the changes afoot .
Q : Do you think the way that we ’ re procuring our food is changing ? And how is it changing ?
A : Absolutely . Consumers are much more focused on the foods that we are putting into our bodies , from a health and a taste perspective . And we recognize that what we do and how we live impacts the rest of the world . When we support local food producers , entrepreneurs , farmers and fishers , it helps our communities and the greater local economy . This has resulted in a greater focus on locally produced food .
Q : What do we need to do to be more successful ?
A : There ' s no doubt in my mind , and we see it at the market , that we need to provide very good support to local food producers and farmers . It ’ s really tough to run a farm . And it ’ s really tough to start a small food business . To expect folks in that situation to compete early with big food producers , means that they will never have enough of an opportunity . So we need to be supportive financially and otherwise .
Q : How are you providing that support ?
A : The Boston Public Market was built with half state dollars and half from private donors . In addition to providing the consumer with great , healthy local food , we intend to provide small farmers and local food entrepreneurs with economic opportunity . That is a core part of our mission .