TRANSCRIPT

Katie: In Massachusetts, more and more markets have been popping up across the state, from clothing markets, to farmers markets, and artisan markets. These markets help small business owners and farmers by providing affordable places for them to sell their goods directly to customers, help stimulate the local economy, and help keep products accessible to buyers. 

Looking at the government, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources helps to start new farmers markets and support current ones. David Webber, the Farmers Market Program Coordinator of the department works with farmers markets all across the state, helping to set them up and promoting them. 

David: We have resources available to them on our website, and also a resource that folks can reach out to in terms of how to go about starting a market. What are some of the regulations or rules around that. 

Katie: In his department, there are several programs for farmers markets that they support, including the Healthy Incentives Program. Through this program, SNAP shoppers can earn a dollar-for-dollar match on their EBT card when they buy fresh fruit and vegetables.  

David: There's a number of programs that certainly help support consumers' ability to purchase from local farms, especially folks who have more limited incomes. 

Katie: David told me that here in Massachusetts, there are over 200 different seasonal farmers markets, and hundreds of farmers and food producers that participate in them each week.

David: Overall agriculture has a market value of $475 million in the state. And the 100 million of that is through direct marketing. So direct marketing would include not just farmers markets, but also farm stands, pick your own operations, a community supported agriculture operations, but Farmers markets are a significant component of that.

Katie: One of the markets that the department of agricultural resources helped to establish is The Boston Public Market. The indoor-year round market opened in 2015, and on average houses around 30 vendors. The vendors also sell a variety of goods, with about a third prepared foods, a third grocery, and a third artisans, creating an outlet for a variety of small businesses to sell. 

Chelsea Renault Doliner is the Marketing and Engagement Officer of the Boston Public Market Association, the nonprofit organization that runs the market. She says the Public Market is a “market on a mission.”

Chelsea: Our larger mission is to nurture local entrepreneurs, especially those who have barriers to fully participating in the downtown market. 

Katie: With rising real estate prices, it’s becoming harder and harder for business owners to open brick and mortar stores. According to LoopNet, the average rent for retail space in Boston is $24.10 per square foot. For example, a small 1000 square foot store would cost over $24,000 a year, or over $2,000 a month. Markets like the Public Market provide a much cheaper alternative for businesses owners to get their in-person start in a central location. 

Chelsea: The rent that rate that we offer, is it just incomparable to what somebody would find at a you know, a store on Newbury Street, or any kind of brick and mortar location that's not within the market.

Katie: Chelsea’s team also does marketing and community engagement for vendors, and deals with permits and other logistics. They also host meetings and classes to help businesses grow. 

Chelsea: So unlike being in your own retail space, the market comes with a community. 

Katie: Chelsea also told me that the market financially benefits more than just the businesses who work there. 

Chelsea: So really, the way that our market, I think benefits the Commonwealth economy the most, is the breadth of opportunity that we give to people. 

Katie: Their vendors source from over 100 New England farms. The market also has over 100 fisher men and women whose livelihoods are supported by what’s sold at the market. 

Chelsea: It's really about the entire food community that we are an artisan community that we're helping to support through those vendors and through the work that we do. 

Katie: Markets like the Public Market can benefit all members of the community, by providing an affordable way for vendors to sell their products and for customers to support them. 

David: One of the benefits is, you know, meeting the people that raise or grow your food, right and putting a face on that and knowing that they’re supporting a local business, they’re supporting the local economy.

Katie: From Boston, I’m Katie Delaney