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Message |
    
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 2216
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:33 am: | 
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Personally, I'd like to see both towns get together and have the farmers market two days a week in one of the high school lots. - Park on one side - shop on the other. |
Strings
Supporter
Username: Blue_eyes
Post Number: 523
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 10:58 am: |
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Maplewood has a Farmers Market, I believe on Mondays on Sprinfield Ave. Or at least they did in the past... |
Lucy
Citizen
Username: Lucy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 11:11 am: |
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if you want easy parking and more farmers close by try Millburn on Friday morning
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Main Street S.O.
Citizen
Username: Mssodirector
Post Number: 17
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 12:01 pm: |
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Main Street South Orange FARMERS MARKET
Enjoy the freshest, just-picked produce and flowers grown only in New Jersey!
NEW LOCATION @ Meadowland Park Duck Pond – between West South Orange Avenue, Mead Street, and the Community Pool.
Starts Wednesday, July 6th, and every Wednesday in July–October, 2:30 pm to 7 pm.
New Jersey farmers and vendors offer delicious baked goods, fresh breads, cheeses, pickles and prepared foods. And, it's a great place to bring your kids, take a break from the pool, shop on your way home from work, and meet your neighbors.
Additional information can be found at www.MainStreetSouthOrange.org/news.php or by calling 973-763-6899.
The MSSO Farmers Market temporarily has been relocated to accommodate ongoing renovations to the fire house, planned summer work on the Sloan & First Streets shopper parking lot, and the anticipated, resulting demands that will be placed on already strained downtown parking. Main Street South Orange invites all commuters, residents, and park and pool visitors to stop by our new market location, patronize our farmers, and continue to make the MSSO Farmers Market among the most successful markets in New Jersey. The new location is two blocks from the train station, one block from the NJ Transit parking lot; and, there's ample, nearby parking.
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Howard Levison
Citizen
Username: Levisonh
Post Number: 281
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 12:07 pm: |
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Why not use the space from the gazebo/water fountain through the underpass leading to the NJ Parking lot and onto the back plaza. I think the NJTransit construction in that area is complete and will allow for "rainy days." |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 1987
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 12:40 pm: |
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Howie: From what I understand, that was discussed. The farmers preferred to have their trucks closer to their stands and that arrangement would not allow for that. There is still more work NJ transit will be doing including in that area but we have not been given a timeframe when they will be working in that area again.
If anyone really thinks they have a better solution or would like to have input, please contact Main Street in the link given above or calling them. |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 205
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 3:06 pm: |
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Why is the parking authority working on the Sloan & First Streets shopper parking lot while the fire house construction and SOPAC construction already have eliminated valuable parking spaces. And, imagine if New Market/ShopRite construction begins (aren't we allowed to at least imagine), the problem will become even worse.
Is there any coordination between the village and the parking authority, or is this simply bureaucracy doing what bureaucracy so often does best -- act in its own less-than-enlightened self interest. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 1128
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 3:52 pm: |
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I think we should have the farmer's market on my street. We can close it off one day a week, and have everyone set up their booths like a block party. We can re-route traffic to other streets. It might be out of the way for some (I live in what might be called Upper Wyoming - Soda, what do you call where you live?), but it sure would be awfully convenient for me.  |
LibraryLady(ncjanow)
Supporter
Username: Librarylady
Post Number: 2586
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 4:49 pm: |
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Upper Wyoming works for me!! |
Howard Levison
Citizen
Username: Levisonh
Post Number: 282
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 10, 2005 - 9:14 pm: |
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Mark, thanks for the follow up. You state "The farmers preferred to have their trucks closer to their stands ..." for whose convenience is this market - the shopper or the vendor? |
bets
Supporter
Username: Bets
Post Number: 1772
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2005 - 12:08 am: |
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Both, Howard, as I suspect their trucks hold product, in this case produce, which requires refrigeration and/or easy access. This location sounds about right to me, dead center of the town. Let's see how it works out. |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 208
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2005 - 6:33 pm: |
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Howard, I thought you had a head on your shoulders, until you made that ridiculous comment, "...for whose convenience is this market - the shopper or the vendor?"
Small, independent N.J. farmers barely eke out a living, and their farms are worth more as McMansion sub-divisions than as farms -- forcing them to constantly re-examine why the continue to do what they do. The NJ farm growers council works with towns across the state to coordinate farmers markets to benefit both shoppers and local farmers.
If you've ever visited our farmers market, you'd see that all of the vendors use their trucks for storage, shade, sometimes electricity, and for quickly restocking their tables. A location that separates them from their trucks quickly would kill their participation. |
Howard Levison
Citizen
Username: Levisonh
Post Number: 283
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 8:07 am: |
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I agree with your comment and it is possible to configure the farmers so that their wares are close by. The issue is to listen to the comments as well as understand the demographics of the customers.
Our focal point has been the station which captures both resident and nonresident traffic.
My point is to see how we can make it successfully meet the objective. If the farmer is so marginal the loss of customers may be fragile enough to push the project to failure. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 128
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 8:56 pm: |
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I agree with Howard's statements.
TwoSense. If they farmer's business is marginal, then there would be a greater financial impact if they loose a great deal of their customer base than having their truck 10 feet closer than before.
Advantages of having the market below the Train Station
1. They can sell rain or shine. More opportunities to sell. No rain outs.
2. Greater access to customers. Train station!
3. (or 2A). Access to West Orange customers. Unless the Jitney is making a stop at the market in Meadowlands Park, you will never see them.
4. Closer for the seniors. Giving seniors close shopping options was a big issue for them during the BOT campaign.
5. Economic contribution to the community and downtown. People who shop at the farmers market could also grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks, pick/drop off their laundry at the cleaners, shop along South Orange avenue, and pay the parking meters. IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME. Why draw them away to a relativly eserted part of the town.
Moving the market away from the center of town will reinforce the problems South Orange has with building central town business district.
Look at Millburn, Cranford as examples. |
galileo
Citizen
Username: Galileo
Post Number: 182
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 11:12 pm: |
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Did you know Cranford does not have any super markets anywhere in the town? It's been that way for years. |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 1992
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 9:51 am: |
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Under the train station is dark (and will be a real problem in the fall when it gets dark earlier) and dirty. I would not want to buy anything with all the falling paint, leaking water and the ongoing construction.
I have already heard from some residents who do NOT commute who say they are glad the market is moving to a place where they can park and not have to deal with sloan street traffic. So maybe the market will gain some customers that it might be losing because it is moving all of two blocks. Usually the West Orange jitney leaves within minutes of the train arriving. I doubt that those were people who used the market. However, if they want, they have 30 minutes before the next jitney so they can walk less then two blocks to the farmer's market and get back in plenty of time. Hardly a burden.
I really don't see why this is such a big deal, but as I said before, Main Street explored several options before deciding to try this one. If anyone wishes to discuss or offer their suggestions they should contact Main Street. They expect to move the location back when the construction for the firehouse is done, so this only for this year.
Moving the market will reinforce that our downtown does not have to be restricted to just Sloan Street from the firehouse to S. Orange Ave. Lots of towns have their farmers market away from the most crowded locations and not anywhere near the train stations.
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Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 691
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 10:09 am: |
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More people could use the Farmer's Market when it is at the duck pond--and, incidentally, the pool--if commuters were not permitted to leave their cars in the middle school parking lot all day. |
Soda
Supporter
Username: Soda
Post Number: 3363
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 3:14 pm: |
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Rastro: I sometimes call it "Woodside". I often call it "Heaven at the bottom of the hill". I've been know to refer to it as "our sweet little money pit", or "where Bob & Mollie used to live". When we had just finished moving in, I wearily called it "the last place I'll ever live". When the north wind howls through our neighbors' tall pines abutting our back yard, I silently think of it as "a disaster waiting to happen".
-s.
BTW: No matter... it's "Home". |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 2518
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 4:44 pm: |
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Soda,
...until Orange Lawn builds a "tennis bubble" or goes condo, right?  |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 133
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:08 pm: |
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Galileo,
Hence my comparison of Cranford to South Orange. I don't count Pathmark being close to town center. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 134
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:10 pm: |
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It will be nice to park along the street in Meadowbrook Park but not at the cost of the advantages I posted above....
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hismom
Citizen
Username: Hismom
Post Number: 245
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 12:56 pm: |
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FYI the Milburn Farmer's Market was open today (I guess they changed it from Fridays to Tuesdays...) |
Two Sense
Citizen
Username: Twosense
Post Number: 217
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 8:59 am: |
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Millburn merchants allegedly fought to move their market from Fridays, because it adversely impacted parking on a busy downtown shopping day. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 137
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 8:59 am: |
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I don't think South Orange would have that problem, because it doesn't have "busy downtown shopping".
Instead the market would be a magnet to bring people to town and hopefully return for other reasons. |
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