Q : How do you inform the public about what you ’ re doing at BPM ?
A : We do a lot of educational and community engagement programming in our kitchen space . We have a demonstration kitchen , which we run with our collaborative partners , and the Trustees . And we also constantly do education in the market . We love bringing school kids in . We give them tours of the market . We teach them about healthy eating . That ’ s a core part of our mission as well ; educating the public , families , kids , about how important it is to eat well . There are studies about the link between nutrition and learning , so that ’ s really important to us .
Q : Who has been coming to the market ?
A : It ’ s a real range . We find there are more women than men , maybe 60 / 40 . There are a lot of residents , Millennials , but also people who are older and live in the city , because either they ’ ve always lived in the city , or they moved into the city after they ’ ve become empty nesters . Visitors stop in too .
Q : What demographic group do you think will be most influential in driving the change in the way we procure food ?
A : Women are always influential . Women often make choices about what their family eats . When I had my first child , I started reading the baby food labels and I was shocked by the horrible things that the typical company puts in their food . I think that ’ s a common story … beginning to notice food labels , realizing what ’ s going into food , and wanting to feed your family in a healthy way .
Q : How do we change the mindsets of consumers ?
A : Education . We ’ ve seen dramatic changes and improvement in how educated consumers are about food now . And there ' s a much greater consumer demand for good food than there used to be . In the old days , it was all about price . And now , there ' s a real debate about whether , at the end of the day , it might first and foremost be about taste and quality .
We also educate consumers about health issues related to food and what we eat . Obviously , all the conversation around obesity , and particularly obesity of children , makes everybody more conscious .
Q : What are your long-term goals for Boston Public Market ?
A : First and foremost , we want to create a market that serves the agricultural and New England economy in general , where farmers and food producers can be financially healthy . And , in turn , create a market that the consumer wants to experience . The market is a civic space . It ’ s a grocery store . But it ’ s also much more than both of those things . It ’ s a really nice experience to meet the maker of the food that you are ultimately going to buy and eat . And that ’ s a unique experience that you really don ’ t get in other places .
If consumers in Boston continue to support Boston Public Market it will thrive , grow , and expand . Similar marketplaces will appear throughout the country , and more people will have access to wholesome local food . It may be a little more expensive , or slightly less convenient , but as Cheryl so aptly stated , “ With food , as with most things in life , you get what you pay for .”
Boston Public Market
100 Hanover St , Boston , MA 02108 Monday - Saturday : 8am-8pm Sunday : 10am-8pm bostonpublicmarket . org
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