Tuesday late afternoon farmers market, Eastern Market, DC

The primary reason that I favor Eastern Market "splitting off" from the city government, and being managed and operated through a separate nonprofit organization is that as a city "agency" it's not very responsive to the "market", as well as having a big problem in that it is run according to "legislation" that can make "being flexible" almost impossible.  (Others disagree, see "Eastern Market vendors wary of proposed governing board" from the Examiner.)

Given how voracious the competition that Eastern Market faces, from new supermarkets to new and other farmers markets ( see "A Fresh Look Back" from the Express) and flea markets around the city and county (see "Fenton Street Market in Silver Spring seeing increase in patrons this season" from the Gazette), an inability to be innovative and customer focused is a kiss of death.

An example of flea markets popping up all over, and taking market and mind share away from Eastern Market as the region's #1 destination for food, arts, and crafts.

For example, when I joined the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee in January 2007, I think we were talking about the possibility of having an additional weekday market of some sort, as a measure to increase activation and to offer a different set of options.

A couple weeks ago--more than 5 years after those earlier discussions (which were not the first)--a Tuesday market, running from 3pm to 7pm, was added to the schedule.

I have to say I bought an awesome cantaloupe from an Amish farmstand that day.

Check it out today or on a forthcoming Tuesday.