Photos from Dane County Farmers’ Market – Madison, WI
Category: Uncategorized (page 14 of 15)
Markets can serve multiple purposes. They often “have a remarkable way of weaving into the fabric of one’s community by connecting both regional food systems and a network of artisanal producers of goods to the economies of metropolitan centers,” as stated in “The Best Weekly Markets in the Southeast” by Michael Field. With the help of private partners or local non-profits, some markets are able to grow and expand into notable businesses. Take a look at the success story Jacksonville, Florida’s Riverside Art Market doing just this.
Take a deeper look into the life of a food vendor. New York Times interviewed NYC resident, Kabir Ahmed, on his daily routine and struggles of owning a food cart in the city in “A Day in the Life of a Food Vendor” by Tejal Rao. The article exemplifies Ahmed’s dedication and time put into his Halal food cart that is set up just blocks away from the World Trade Center.
The article states. “These vendors are a fixture of New York’s streets and New Yorkers’ routines, vital to the culture of the city.” Without devotion from people like Ahmed, this culture of the city would be non-existent.
Bangkok, a city previously known for its renowned street food reputation, will no longer be a food destination of choice as the city launches a ‘clean-up’ effort, according to the New York Times. This past Tuesday, city officials confirmed their plan to eliminate all street vendors from the main roads.
While the removal of the delicious street-food vendors may seem like a loss, authorities agree that Bangkok must address the situation for “order and hygiene reasons,” in order to put the city back on track.
Read more about the Bangkok Street Vendor Market at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bangkok-street-food-ban-vendors_us_58f5d5bbe4b0bb9638e60c15?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
What is Urban Agriculture and how do cities embrace them? Wayne Roberts goes into this discussion while evaluating three different food policy and urban agriculture books, including “City of Farmers: Urban Agricultural Practices and Processes by Alfonso Morales and Julie Dawson.
Metrics + Indicators for Impact (MIFI), is a three-year research study carried out by a collaboration of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Farmer’s Market Coalition. Funded by the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), MIFI strives to create a user-friendly database that measures and collects information from farmer’s markets across the country. The database encourages its national farmer’s market participants to collect data in an organized and timely fashion, allowing the information to be used in an efficient and helpful way for future participants and vendors. The MIFI portal measures the economic, social, and ecological impacts within the participating national markets. Examples of the information collected are the average numbers of visitors to markets, total market sales, transportation methods to the markets, etc. According to the MIFI markets website (mifimarkets.org), farmer’s markets can use this resource in order to understand their role in fostering social interaction and local economic development, improve internal decision-making and strategic planning, and strengthen relationships with community partners, sponsors, vendors and customers.
MIFI member, Dusty Krikau, from the Fon du Lac Farmer’s Market explained his experience with the online resource. Krikau said, “Metrics + Indicators for Impact has given us access to valid and reliable statistical analysis of our market – something that would be unrealistic on our standard operating budget…The insights gained have helped us write grant requests and reports; recognize areas where we can make quick and easy improvements; and respond to concerns from customers, vendors, and local business owners.”
Principal Investigator, Professor Alfonso Morales believes that a systemized program like the MIFI market system will “help bring an evaluation feedback loop that is often missing in many farmer’s markets, enhancing market credibility which will enable more effective decision-making.” After years of dedication since the start of the MIFI grant in April 2014, Morales and his team have come to the end of their journey as the new website plans to launch this May with the goal that the online tool will strengthen national food system networks.
For more information, go to: mifimarkets.org
The push to legalize sidewalk vending in the City of Angels moved closer to its goal. Last week the Los Angeles City Council adopted a motion approving in concept legalization and regulation of street vending. The motion directs the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to decriminalize vending and authorizing the board of public works to issue permits for stationary sidewalk vending in commercial and industrial zones, with a maximum of two vendors per block face, and limited mobile vending in residential zones.
The approach is not perfect. The two vendor per block face limit seems arbitrary. It is doubtful that the City would consider limiting storefront retail businesses to two per block face in commercial zones. Concerns about sidewalk congestion can and should be addressed with less ham-handed approaches.
Despite blemishes, this is an important step. It has been more than 20 years since the City Council last took action toward legalizing sidewalk vending. That last effort resulted in an ordinance that made possible the creation of legal vending districts. The process to do so was so complex and choked with red-tape, though, that only one district was ever created. It could never accommodate all the vendors (and their many customers) who wanted to participate, and fizzled out after a few years of operation.
By starting with the premise that the entire City should be open to sidewalk vending, the City Council’s action holds the promise of success.
Networks similar to Open Air strive to create forums and spaces where people with the shared interest of farmers’ markets are able to come together and exchange ideas. Each year, Maine Federation of Farmers’ Market (MFFM) holds an annual conference, inviting inspiring and influential people to come educate those involved in the federation. University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and member of Open Air Market Network, Alfonso Morales, was one of the many attendees of the conference. While there, Morales gave a presentation titled, “Resurgent Farmers’ Markets: Impacts Around the US and Prospects for Maine” to over 125 guests. Here are some photo’s from Alfonso’s trip this past weekend:
I remember the first time I came to Madison, Wisconsin. The true beauty of the city immediately stood out between the Capitol Building and the two lakes. I stood looking up State Street, awestruck by the city I was about to call my home for four years. Amongst the many highlights that Madison has to offer, one of the features of the city that caught my eye most were the many food trucks lined up on Library Mall.
Food Trucks on Library Mall in Madison, Wisconsin.
In a state that prides itself for beer and cheese, the diversity of ethnicities amongst the food trucks is incredible. Whether you are craving authentic tacos, Chicago-style hot dogs, or Thai food, you are able to get any of them for just a few dollars. Now, four years later I am striving to complete the ‘rounds’ and eat at every food truck that holds a residency in Library Mall.
While hoping to try each truck before graduating this May, there are a few that I must say are my favorite. This anecdote will tell you why.
My curiosity continued to grow as I watched the line for the green food truck titled, “Fresh Cool Drinks” wrap around Library Mall like a never-ending snake. My mind immediately wondered, what’s so good about this truck? Little did I know, not only is the food my favorite, but also the worker, Tsuey.
Fresh Cool Drinks has, in some sense, saved my life while studying on campus. Although the line is often incredibly long, it is always worth the wait. The cart’s most popular, and my favorite food cart item, is the $3 spring roll. Tsuey fills each roll with an overwhelming amount of ingredients like cabbage, a choice of meat or tofu, avocado and a choice of sauce. Never did I think I could fall in love with a food item, but I did.
Tsuey has a huge influence on her costumers, as she tends to remember the faces and names of her regulars – making each visit at the truck a memorable one.
Amidst the flu and final season of December 2016, I stood in the long line for a spring roll. After fighting off strep throat for a few days, my voice was cracked and quite noticeable. Immediately after I ordered my lunch, Tsuey asked if I was sick and what my symptoms were – her concern was heartwarming.
Within minutes, Tsuey popped her head out of the window with my spring roll and before I could say thank you, she then handed me a soothing home remedy for my throat consisting of ginger, honey and lemon and instantly said, “on the house.”
Tsuey’s act of kindness instantly triggered a feeling of comfort and home in this city. The food trucks are a place for people to explore the many cultures of Madison while simultaneously radiating happiness and common ground for everyone. If given the opportunity, check out a truck that you have not yet been to – the food, as well as the people working may surprise you.
By Lisa Lucas, Associate Research Specialist for Metrics + Indicators for Impact, University of Wisconsin–Madison
I was very excited to be able to attend and present at the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) 2017 Annual Convention yesterday, January 29. The convention was held at Kennebec Valley Community College–Alfond Campus north of Waterville, Maine. I was invited to attend along with my supervisor, Dr. Alfonso Morales of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, by MFFM’s Executive Director Leigh Hallett, whom we worked with on a project this past year.
I loved being back in Maine. I lived in Maine briefly in 2010 before starting graduate school in New Hampshire, and my sister lived in Portland, Maine for six years before recently moving to Los Angeles. Maine is a gorgeous state! I stayed in Portland this past weekend, and enjoyed the scenic hour or so drive up to Waterville to attend the convention. Maine winters are cold, but very bright; it was nice to see sun again having come from overcast Wisconsin. But, I’ve digressed…
Alfonso was invited to give the keynote address to the over 125 market managers, farmers, and vendors from all over the state of Maine who attended; his presentation was titled “Resurgent Farmers’ Markets: Impacts Around the US and Prospects for Maine.” The gym where he presented was packed and his talk was well-received. Alfonso even packed several prizes from Wisconsin to distribute to lucky winners after his talk; how fun!
Alfonso Morales giving his keynote to a packed gym.
The schedule of the day included 13 different workshops attendees could choose from. I attended bits and pieces of several, but especially enjoyed the lively discussion in “Keep the Peace: Dealing with Difficult People on Both Sides of the Tent.” Vendors in this session shared their experiences and expertise in handling difficult vendor-vendor and vendor-customer situations. There were nods and laughs of agreement at some of the colorful stories shared!
After a delicious lunch and MFFM’s annual meeting, I presented with Leigh on data collection. Leigh discussed the results of the MFFM Snapshot Week surveys that her team distributed to shoppers at farmers markets throughout Maine last summer; they received over 2000 responses. The findings from the surveys informed the creation of MFFM’s recently published 2016 annual report which was distributed to legislators and the general public earlier this year. Among other things, the surveys showed that not only do Maine farmers market shoppers spend money at the markets they attend, they also spend an average of $20 at neighboring businesses too. Maine farmers markets are helping local economies. The Snapshot surveys also included a wealth of qualitative feedback; shoppers shared their favorite market memories and the reasons they keep coming back to their local markets. Leigh’s talk on the interesting things that data can show us was a perfect segue into my presentation on a specific data collection tool soon-to-be-available to farmers markets nationwide.
I was excited to share about Metrics + Indicators for Impact (MIFI), a comprehensive data collection, interpretation, and reporting toolkit and online portal developed by Dr. Morales and PhD candidate, Lauren Suerth, also of UW–Madison. I came to the project several months ago as a part-time project coordinator/customer service liaison supporting the work. MIFI (pronounced like “wi-fi”) is currently being pilot-tested by over 20 markets across the country. MIFI empowers markets to take data collection into their own hands. MIFI provides all the tools, directions, and support that markets will need to successfully collect data on their markets, and then an online data portal crunches the numbers behind-the-scenes. No need to hire a statistician! MIFI will be available to markets nationwide this spring, so more to come on that later.
I was very appreciative of the opportunity to travel to Maine from Janesville, Wisconsin (where I now live) to learn more about farmers markets and be able to share about MIFI, the project I’ve been working on. Thank you, Leigh! The only thing I forgot to do was grab a “lobstah” roll while I was there. Next time! (For more pictures of the event, check out the Open Air Facebook page.)
