A New Public Market Coming to Boston

          Just a couple of weeks ago there was a groundbreaking ceremony for Boston's first public food market, scheduled to open next summer. The market will be 28,000 square feet with 40+ vendors and located in a state-owned building along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, at the corner of Hanover and Blackstone. The market will feature produce, meat and poultry, baked goods, local seafood, and an assortment of specialty and prepared foods. There will also be a teaching kitchen with cooking demonstrations, health and wellness programs, and more.

          I can't wait to check out this market, and was especially interested in the seafood available! According to the Boston Public Market's Business Plan there will be plenty of local vendors featuring black bass, buefish, cod, flounder, mussels, oysters, scallops and more. Here's an excerpt directly from the business plan on the New England seafood they expect to offer:

"New England is home to some of the most nutrient rich fishing grounds in the world including Georges Bank, the Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod Bay. Georges Bank is arguably the most productive piece of ocean bottom in the entire world. Today’s fishermen work within regulations designed to eliminate overfishing and promote the stock’s biomass growth. While certain populations are still at risk, over the last 17 years the fishery biomass in New England has grown by more than 500 percent. New England’s annual catch size is second in value only to Alaska, and today, scallops help New Bedford, Massachusetts, bring in more revenue than any fishing port in the nation for the 11th consecutive year in a row."

          The market will also present an opportunity for small local fisherman, farmers, and other producers that might otherwise face barriers to entering the Boston retail market including supply chain obstacles, and inability to operate an entire storefront on their own due small size or high Boston rents.



          Although the Boston Public Market is still several months away from opening, you can check out their website for news and updates.

          What topics do you want to read about seafood and / or sustainability? Leave your suggestions in the comments section!