Farmers Market, Detroit

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A Report on Farmers’ Market, Detroit The farmers’ market in Detroit, also known as the Eastern Market Farmer’s Distribution Centre, is the largest fresh farm produce and fresh flower open air market in the United States. The market stands on a 43 acres piece of land and has more than 150 specialty shops and food stores. It is located at the centre of the Eastern Market District east of Detroit in Michigan and has been operational since 1891. The market is operational on a daily basis but its most spectacular day of the week is Saturday. Saturday is the most spectacular because it has historically been the market day at the Eastern Market. On average, the market day attracts about 45000 shoppers and business people majorly buying and selling …show more content…

Firstly, the farmers do not have to pay high taxes in order to sell their produce at the market. What they pay to be allotted an open air stall at the market is very little in comparison to what they would pay to get a store in downtown Detroit. Secondly, Saturday being the traditional market day at the farmer’s market, a lot of people visit the market not only from the populous Detroit city but also from various parts of the country. An average of 45000 buyers every Saturday is a wide enough market for a farmer to strategize how to maximize his profits. Thirdly, the farmer’s market has no worthy competitor in the whole of Michigan State; therefore the prices that the farmers get at the market are far better than what they would have gotten elsewhere in the state. The farmers’ cost of transport to the market is also low due to the fact that they are local farmers and the market is in their midst. The only major limitation of the farmer’s market to the farmers is their inability to control the prices at the market. The buyers also suffer a limitation since the market is far off town therefore not easily accessible to most …show more content…

It affects the economy in two distinct ways. Firstly, the market affects the household incomes of the farmers and traders plying their trades at the market. Traders at this market realize high profits increasing their buying power. The market also generates high income to the state from the taxes levied on the traders selling at the market. From these taxes the state government is able to improve the lives of the citizens living in Michigan. The thought by some city officials to convert the vacated space at the market into a city farm might be beneficial but only in the short run. This is because the city farm will continue producing fresh farm produce but at very small scale since the vacated space will not be enough to produce all essentials. furthermore, declining population is not an indicator that the population will continue diminishing for ever. Even though it is a noble idea to produce food at every given opportune space, city farming is not viable in the long run even in cities which are experiencing declining

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