Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Earlier this year, I attended and keynoted the 2011 Maine Farmers Market Convention, which brought
together market managers, vendors and local and federal legislators to discuss market issues in Maine.
Heres the video of my talk:
While the number of new markets in Maine continue to grow, most of what I heard people talk about at
the conference was how their established market is being asked to expand operations and take on a larger
role in the life of the community.
Markets across the state are expanding the number of days they are open and adding second locations,
accepting SNAP/EBT, selling local products online, and even operating year-round. While this growth is
exciting it also is challenging, especially because so many of the states markets are operated by
volunteers.
As markets in Maine and across the country are increasingly recognized as important community assets,
they need help taking on larger responsibilities. No matter whether your market is new or established and
undergoing growing pains, these principles can help make it succeed both as a market and as a great
community place.
Making places where people like to hang out with each other will directly benefit in dollars.
2. PUBLIC MARKETS MUST HAVE PUBLIC GOALS:
A public market can come in many shapes and sizes including a craft market, art market, flea market,
farmers market, indoor market. But to be considered a public market, the market must:
Have public goals: how does this place contribute to the community?
Operate in public spaces- it can be privately owned but customers should not pay to get in
The best public markets confer a number of great public benefits. Research from the Ford Foundation
shows public markets confer multiple benefits to the communities they serve. Public Markets:
Covered Markets- sheds or flexible indoor space, including winter markets- a trend that is
growing in the northeast
Market districts multi acre hubs of market-related activity including a indoor market, mix of
wholesale and retail usually- usually lots of food related businesses, such as restaurants
4. HEALTHY FOOD HUBS: THE BEST MARKETS ARE AT THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY
When you start thinking holistically about markets as great community places- and not merely as outlets
for produce- its easy to see how markets can become the heart of a neighborhood. The busiest, most
successful markets are places where people want to spend time together.
But they can be more than fun: by strategically clustering public services and activities, markets can
actually contribute to community health.
Markets that cluster fresh food and health services in an environment where people want to come
together to spend time are Healthy Food Hubs.
Healthy Food Hubs offer many benefits, especially in lower-income or disenfranchised communities
without grocery stores where there is little or no access to fresh food. Healthy Food Hubs are markets
where you might also find cooking demonstrations, health information, a shared-use commercial kitchen,
job training, health care, community space, community gardens, and a restaurant or cafe, etc.
Healthy Food Hubs were the cornerstone of a concept PPS put together for our work inBirmingham,
Alabama.
PPS Can Help Make Your Market Great
PPS offers many services to reinvent or start a public market. PPS markets team can help with:
1.
2.
Bi-annual Training Courses in New York City on how to create successful markets. The next on
will occur on May 20-21.
International Public Markets Conferences. The next one will be in Cleveland in 2012
Additional resources
Check out PPS research on public markets and these highlights and take-aways from the Maine Farmers
Market Convention.
These Photos Can't LieAraneta Center Farmers Market is Undoubtedly the Cleanest in
Metro Manila!
Compared to other public markets around Metro Manila which are known to have this stinky,
nostril-drying smell and sticky to muddy sidewalks; the Araneta Center Farmers Market
(located in Cubao, Quezon City) is incomparable when it comes to its high standards of
cleanliness and orderliness.
Many times, I heard people talking about how awesome this place is, so to prove it to
myself, I decided to visit this place one day to satisfy my curiosity.
More than just a mere rumor, this place seemed to be the best market I have ever seen
around the metro. Aside from being a melting pot of the Philippines' known fruits,
vegetables, seafood and meat products, I am impressed about how vendors maintain an
organized display of all their goodsmaking the entire place incredibly neat and tidy.
With the cooperative kindness of the Araneta Group Marketing Department, I was able to
secure a permit to shoot some photos within the market's perimeter. This made it easy for
me to go around while having the chance to occasionally talk with some vendors here, too.
Now, hold on because I am now about to show you some fascinating finds that made my
entire Farmers Market experience unforgettably worth sharing.
Nothing but only a kaleidoscopic mixture of various colorful stuff, this part of the market I
think is the most eye-catching of all. Isn't it astounding to see how vendors meticulously
arrange all these fruits in their stalls as if everything should look like it's well-calculatedly
positioned?
In this area, you will see a long stretch of stalls selling nothing but all different kinds of
fruitseven the seasonal ones
In this spot, I was able to interact with Mang Jun, one of the stall owners. He said that hehas
been doing the same job of selling fruits for over 20 years now. With that long period of time,
he was able to observe some developments and changes in the market as well as how the
market's administration handles, maintains and values the cleanliness of the place.
I guess, market vendors here have only one thing in mind: Cleanliness and neatness should
always be a top priority.
Their rules and policies regarding the cleanliness of the market is strictly being enforced.
We (vendors) are always reminded to be more conscious about removing all the
unnecessary items and clutters that could make our stalls look untidy., he verbalized.
The fruits and vegetables here were arranged as if they should always be camera-ready!
Mang Jun is right. I do not see any unnecessary items or clutters here.
Here are some of our beloved local delicacies: latik, puto, kutsinta, and leche plan to name
a few
Woven products and house cleaning equipment are being sold here at the dry market too.
But I guess this place doesn't need more of that 'house cleaning' anymorethe floor here
looks so clean!
I didn't expect to take great photos from this wet market. Though there are lots of people
around, everything still looks so organized!
Its stinky and stickycommonly these are some adjectives that best describe a wet market.
But, I guess these words are never applicable here at all.
Michael Talipan, the very patient and courteous security officer on duty who tagged along
with me during my visit here said, This part of the market is sufficiently being maintained
by sanitary rovers who always ensure that the market floors are mopped and
free from clutters and grimy smudges. As a security guard in this area, we are as well being
advised to carefully monitor the compliance of every vendor to our policies regarding
maintenance and cleanliness.
I can't see any bloody stains here at all. I don't know how they do this, but kudos for this
'clean' job!
Does this wide array of seafood looks more fresh when it's presented like this?
Huge crabs and lobsters are just some of the great finds here too!
No wonder why consumers love to flock around this place everyday. As you can see, Araneta
Center Farmers Market has already paved its way to the hall of fame because of its best and
outstanding standards in customer satisfaction.
Hence, I would no longer be astonished if you suddenly realized what life could be like if you
live near this place. Aside from enjoying this markets comfort and convenience, Cubao has
more interesting activities to offerin fact, you can indulge into some skys-the-limit
shopping sprees and can enjoy unlimited food trips to a greater selection of restaurants here
too! But to enjoy all the goodness longer, the best option is to avail or rent a condominium
or maybe a house nearby. For sure, there are always some units available in this area that
are now ready for occupancy. (To find a home near Cubao, try using Zipmatcha powerful
yet a user friendly tool that can locate real estate properties in less than 5 minutes)
Going back to the Farmers Market, I wonder what would it be like if all the marketplaces in
the country would be as clean and well-maintained like this. Undoubtedly, there will be an
enormous spike in the growth of the Philippines economy. The health of the Filipinos too, will
significantly be improved.
Truly, the Araneta Center Farmers Market is one of its kind. Its indeed an epitome of
excellent cleanliness and inimitable market standards.
(1) Building a new public market involves both land and public
money. Before determining whether a market should be built, the
Government would have to duly assess the demand for the market
and the question of cost effectiveness, for the purpose of
ensuring that public resources are put to proper use.
Specifically, factors that are taken into account include the
population of the area in question, the demographic mix, the
community needs, the provision of public and private market
facilities nearby, and the number of fresh provisions retail
outlets in the vicinity.
We have looked at the situation in Tseung Kwan O. At
present, six markets managed by the Link REIT and four private
markets exist in Tseung Kwan O. They are located in major public
or private housing estates and shopping venues. There are 27
shopping malls, 24 supermarkets and about 130 fresh provisions
shops. Different areas in the district are connected to each
other by various modes of transport. This helps facilitate the
shopping activities of local residents. According to experience,
the stall vacancy rate of a new market will be relatively high if
the products and services provided are similar to those of
existing traders who have been operating in the district for a
long time.
Even in the case of a temporary market, the Administration
has to put in a sizeable amount of resources to provide basic
facilities such as ceiling, stall partition, electrical
installation, water supply and sewerage systems, ventilation,
lighting system, fire-fighting system, toilets and refuse storage
chamber. Hence, the Government has not developed any new
temporary market in recent years. Most of the existing temporary
markets are provided to resite hawkers who would otherwise be
trading on-street causing environmental nuisance and obstructing
pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The last temporary market
development project, comprising the Nam Cheong Street Temporary
Market and Tung Chau Street Temporary Market, was carried out by
the former Urban Council in the early 1990s. These markets were
used to accommodate on-street hawkers selling wet goods in Sham
Shui Po and tenants of the former Sham Shui Po Market. In the
latter case, the purpose was to vacate the site for developing
the present Pei Ho Street Market.
On account of the above considerations, the Administration
has no plan to provide a permanent or temporary public market in
Tseung Kwan O Area 85 at present.