Jacksonville Farmer's Market Seeks To Expand

[Metro Jacksonville]

Jacksonville Farmer's Market Seeks To Expand



The Jacksonville Farmer's Market is considering a massive expansion that would transform it into one of the urban core's major attractions.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-sep-jacksonville-farmers-market-seeks-to-expand

[Noone]

What an opportunity for part of it to be your urban fish farming school. Hey kids, catch your dinner.

[gedo3]

The suggestions sound wonderful--except for the one about mid to upscale dining.  As soon as the menu goes public with higher prices, people will figure the prices are higher at the market--and stay away...Outside of that, it would be great to see it become even more popular!

[WmNussbaum]

JFM, please, please, please try to do something like the DeKalb County Market in Atlanta. That would be a major attraction for anyone close to Jacksonville. See what that place is like at dekalbfarmersmarket.com. I've long thought an operation like that would be well suited for the Southside Generating Station parcel which should be big enough to hold the store(s), parking, and space along the river for outside activities. The DeKalb County facility is a place you can spend hours in just looking at foods from around the world available nowhere else.

I've noticed that JFM sells all sorts of citrus, but amazingly has no juice bar. Many other possibilities are also lacking and an expansion would open a helluval lot of new possibilities. Notwithstanding a prior post, I think getting a little more upscale would be a wonderful idea. The whole place doesn't need to become more expensive, but some residents might welcome a place to get really great meats, seafood, flowers, and so on, in one venue.

GO FOR IT. If you build it I will come.

[TPC]

I haven't been to the farmers market yet, does anyone know how much of the produce is sourced locally? Also, do they have a decent selection of organic?

[ben says]

WmNussbaum....DeKalb County Market is, in my opinion, the best market in the US. Reminds me 100% of a European market. Best selection I've seen in this country.

[ben says]

TPC--go today!!

I'd say over 50% of the stuff is sourced locally. Not enough of it is organic, but there ARE organic vendors.

An amazing asset. Truly one of the best experiences Jax has to offer.

[fieldafm]

I haven't been to the farmers market yet, does anyone know how much of the produce is sourced locally? Also, do they have a decent selection of organic?

They are open 365 days a year, so everything is not sourced locally (that's just not practical for a market open 365 days a year)... however I can tell you, you will find a fantastic selection of both local and non-local produce.  I buy everything from jasmin rice, greens (a bag is $3 cut and cleaned), mayport shrimp (cheap), black eye peas (shelled on site), yellow watermelon (can't find that anywhere else in town), tupelo honey (which is awesome, and $4 a bottle cheaper than buying at Whole Foods) to bags of cut and cleaned ready to cook stir fry vegetables for $3

There is even a vendor that sells as good of a selection of Asian fruits/vegetables than you would find at any of the Asian markets in town but much cheaper.

Meteor Street Produce (open Fri-Sun) is an all organic vendor.

The last Saturday of the month we are having another Farm to Food Truck Day.  We'll vote online(facebook.com/JaxTruckies) from ingredients found at the Market... and the food truck will create specials based on your votes.

GO FOR IT. If you build it I will come.

Honestly, if you are not going now... you are missing out big time.  This is the oldest farmers market in the state and better than about 95% of the farmers markets I've seen across the country.  With the opportunities that come from the expansion into the old grocery market next door, I think it will rival Eastern Market in DC. 

[ben says]

How likely is an actual expansion? Are they in a fact finding/due diligence mindset right now? Are they sold on the idea of expanding, and are now trying to figure out who/what/when/where/how?

I'm intrigued. As fieldafm pointed out, this Farmer's Market is the "real deal" and could only get better with an expansion.

p.s....love the Asian fruit guy!! Jackfruit, passion fruit, durian, dragon fruit...you can't find this stuff anywhere else!

[5ptscurmudgeon]

Meh. Location location location. Needs to go to Annie Lytle or space of old apartments at Stockton and Ernest St + bodega + lots across Ernest.

I have been going to the market for years and 75% of my friends just will not go up there no matter how many times Ive dazzled people with what I bought. You hear one horror story after another of something someone heard years ago. These same broke people will spend twice the money for the exact same thing at RAM or King St. People from Avondale will not cross the tracks. Riverside peeps will not cross I10.

[Bativac]

The Farmers Market has become insanely more popular (and more crowded) over the past couple years. I'd love to see it expand.

But in answer to TPC's question, I would say very little of the stuff is organic (I think there was one guy selling a few things last time I was there) and not a lot of it is truly "local" (depending on your definition of "local" - the honey comes from central Florida, but a ton of the produce isn't even from the US). I don't think anywhere near 50% of the stuff is local, considering you can see stickers indicating points of origin from Mexico to China to Honduras.

But it is cheap, and good quality, and there's a ton of it. $20 will get enough to last my wife and I a week and a half. And watermelons of all shapes, sizes, and varieties.

I'd love to see an actual "local farmers" section, as well as maybe some enforcement of basic sanitation standards at the little on-site cafe.

[thelakelander]

How likely is an actual expansion? Are they in a fact finding/due diligence mindset right now? Are they sold on the idea of expanding, and are now trying to figure out who/what/when/where/how?

I'm intrigued. As fieldafm pointed out, this Farmer's Market is the "real deal" and could only get better with an expansion.

p.s....love the Asian fruit guy!! Jackfruit, passion fruit, durian, dragon fruit...you can't find this stuff anywhere else!

^They already own the land and building.  I'd say an expansion is likely at some point.  What type of expansion and how it is ultimately pulled off, is up for grabs.

Meh. Location location location. Needs to go to Annie Lytle or space of old apartments at Stockton and Ernest St + bodega + lots across Ernest.

I have been going to the market for years and 75% of my friends just will not go up there no matter how many times Ive dazzled people with what I bought. You hear one horror story after another of something someone heard years ago. These same broke people will spend twice the money for the exact same thing at RAM or King St. People from Avondale will not cross the tracks. Riverside peeps will not cross I10.

I think the location is fine and it shouldn't be moved because a few yuppies are scared to venture in an industrial district.  It plays a critical role for the nearby neighborhoods that don't have places like Winn-Dixie and Publix operating in them. With the amount of warehouses and food related industries in the area, I think the farmer's market could grow and stimulate the development of a "wholesale" or "market" district, similar to what Detroit's Eastern Market has done for the area surrounding it.  To do this, future expansion plans must create more activity along Beaver Street itself instead of the space between the buildings and street curb serving as surface parking.

[5ptscurmudgeon]

Dream on. I've been living in 5pts, King St. and Edgewood for 25 years. Some things will never change.

[thelakelander]

^No problem.  Someone has too if this city is to turn the corner.

[Tacachale]

^"My yuppie friends don't like it" ≠ "no one likes it". 5ptscurmudgeon sounds like simms here. How do you explain all the people who do go currently?