News

Farm fresh food fosters community

By |

Fruits, vegetables, and lines of customers waiting for fresh eggs are only a few of the things you can find at the Torrance Certified Farmers Market. Held every Tuesday of the year from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. , this market provides a space for shoppers to buy goods from 60 California farms, according to the market’s website. 

Rows of booths, multiple food stands, and a stage with live music makeup the Torrance Certified Farmers Market. Citizens of all ages sat at tables to eat, shopped for weekly groceries, and listened to the reggae band performing. 

“This is the best weekday market I’ve seen,” said Hector Valencia, a vendor at The Almond Guy, a booth selling farm fresh almonds. “It’s my first time selling here and it’s cool to see people walking around and coming out so early on a Tuesday.” 

Valencia said he has worked at many different markets throughout LA County and there’s a wide range of size and attendance. Sometimes a market will be slow and Valencia said he’s “just there to sell” while other markets offer an environment to chat with shoppers and people watch.

News

Eastern Market implements new guidelines, business models to cater to the health, safety of guests

By |

Courtesy of Samuel MorykwasShoppers attend the Flower Day Market in Eastern Market

Eastern Market has been one of Detroit, Michigan’s most prominent tourist destinations for over 150 years. With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, the market has remained open, but with new safety measures implemented. Sam Morykwas, marketing manager for Eastern Market, explained that Eastern Market wanted to ensure the safety of its guests and to make sure that they were complying with the state and city’s safety initiatives. Eastern Market uses several safety measures to limit face-to-face interactions and to keep the vendors and guests safe. These measures include sanitizing services and handwashing stations for the staff and guests, a taped 6-by-6-foot grid for a visual guide to help maintain social distancing, no longer allowing sampling from vendors, contact-free payments, additional signs to encourage people to distance themselves, required masks upon entry, temporary fencing around the market and a north and south entry point into the shed to regulate the flow of traffic.

News

Fall draws locals to Meridian Township market

By |

Purchasing locally grown produce can be done every year at the Meridian Township Farmers’ market. The market hosts over 20 vendors every Saturday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Some vendors have been partnering with Meridian selling products for years, and other vendors include new entrepreneurs like Bri Makaric, MSU student and founder of Brite Bites. “My company is not over a year old yet and so growing customer base is very important,” said Makaric. “Meridian Township Farmers’ Market has allowed me to sell my products and grow customers from the local area.”

The Meridian Township farmers’ market is not limited to vendors who live in Meridian, but is also open to vendors outside of Meridian Township as well. They come from towns as far as Grand Rapids and as close as Lansing.

News

Feeling the squeeze-more Manhattan natives moving to NYC’s boroughs

By |

NEW YORK — As more people move into a city, population, housing and overall living expenses seem to go one way—up. Manhattan is no different. People move in, prices increase, and those who have lived in a neighborhood their entire life may find that they can no longer afford it, said Nicole Gelinas a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a local based think tank, and an expert in state and local fiscal policy, along with public transportation and infrastructure. The cost of living has changed significantly over several different time periods, and for different reasons she said. “Since the financial crisis, so we’ll say since 2008, the sales market has certainly increased markedly in prices,” Gelinas said.