I would support the Farmers Market if they catered to those living around it. Sadly, its hours are geared to those who stay at home or walk down during work hours (which again limits sales b/c not many in the financial district will walk all the way down to 17th and Main). The market's key day is Thursday but they hardly cater to those of us that get off at 5 get home by 5:30 and want to walk back down b/c of NO parking. I'd rather just make the stop right off the highway at Oregon Hill's Farmer's Market which is awesome!

The 17th street market is trying to accomplish too much with festivals, and arts and crafts etc. Don't get me wrong, I think those things are great somewhere else, but farmers markets are intended for fresh local produce, and food related items. If there's a dependable and varied supply of fresh produce, and adequate convenient parking, I think you'll see more commuters stopping on their way home from work, to grab some stuff for dinner. Apparently downtowners alone are not able to provide enough business, and these commuters are typically the ones with larger families, thus more likely to buy large quantities. Convenience quality and affordability are key. Right now the suburban produce stands far exceed the 17th street market in each category.

The other day I went to visit my parents, and stopped at the Pole Green produce stand in Mechanicsville. Business was booming. Tons of pallets of fresh produce were being unloaded, and immediately scavenged. They also had some local baked goods, jellies, sauces, salsas, relishes and even local beverages. All of this was extremely efficient, relatively inexpensive and well coordinated in a structure about 1/4 the size of the 17th street Market. The privately run operations are succeed over our multi-million dolar tax-payer funded city managed operation. Sad, very sad. PS. Does the city meals tax apply to the goods at the farmers market?

There are enough residents downtown in Tobacco Row, Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip, Church Hill, Jackson Ward, etc. to support this farmer's market if they catered to their needs though it certainly doesn't hurt having suburbanites/tourists in the mix as well. For this to happen, the City would have to commit to bury utilities, rebuild the Bottom's horrendous road's and sidewalks, and provide convenient, cheap, and clean parking. Those chain-linked, pot-holed, gravel lots have to go! One of the problems I notice on weekends though is a lack of actual food items and one of the more prominent vendors always seems to be selling stuff from a grocery store. South of the James and Oregon Hill work because you have the actual farms there selling their goods.

Why would suburbanites drive into downtown 15 miles each way, when we can get fresh stuff at farmers markets much closer, or buy our Hanover tomatoes at Ukrop's, Fresh Market or any other major player here in suburban Richmond? Another thing is all the talk about local food is great but are people really buying it and cooking it? I bought swiss chard the other day at a certain grocer and two people looked at me and said "how do you cook that"? People in general are not cooking as much as they used to, so an inconveniently located downtown market open odd hours isn't going to make it.

I went down there a few weeks ago and turned around and left, it is embarrassing that Richmond is such a dud of a town. Nothing thrives because of the unfriendly city policy on everything, if leaders would RELAX and realize that people on the streets, vendors, entertainment and other activity are GOOD for a city they might be surprised. They need to visit Austin, Seattle and the other million cities with thriving art, food, culture etc communities downtown.

it is easier for me to purchase a gun in that area than to buy fresh produce...

Further proof that this city fails.....AT EVERYTHING!

With the high speed toll lanes now open on the Powhite in both directions, how are EZ-Pass customers supposed to know when their toll balance is low? Even if one utilizes the other tolls, sometimes the yellow light is green again by the next toll, so one might miss the fact a deduction is coming from their account.

The 17th st farmer's market is open on THURSDAYS 8:30 am-2 pm--how do they expect people to shop there on a work day with those hours?? I'm justuming that there are more things available there on Thursdays because when I've gone on Saturdays and Sundays pretty much the only things available are squash and tomatoes. These issues do not encourage one to shop at the farmer's market regularly.

Richmond can't do anything right, if they can't keep a baseball team in the city, what makes us think they can run a farmers market? Bad location, bad parking...hello...that new paved lot between Cary and Main use to be great. Now it's a paid lot that holds half of what the old one use to hold. Move the market to Byrd Park where there is already a lot of foot traffic.

I lve in the Southside and 17th Street is far, Forest Hill is close, and gas is expensive. Thank you Cathy G!

It's inconveniently located to just about everything.

Besides the lack of parking, and the fact that the surrounding streets look shabby and blighted, the Market itself doesn't have the feel of a farmer's market. If management want to know what a real farmer's market is, I would suggest that they take a trip up to Charlottesville.

It's GREAT to be able to purchase fresh produce directly from the growers who we get to meet, talk to and get ideas from at the markets, and buying bread or pies that were baked that morning. It's great that the grocery stores are finally offering some local goods, but the markets are more direct. The city has done a disservice to the great work Kathy Emerson started at the 17th St. market. Not surprising, though, with how busy they've been with other things, like booting the School Board and the Braves. They just don't seem to like it if something positive happens downtown. Thank goodness for Councilwoman Graziano for cutting through the muck and making South of the James' Market happen!

Ms. Blilely analysis shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Parking and hours of operation are key to any retail operation, but especially for a niche marketing operation. There has to be a simple answer to this simple question: "Why do you shop at the farmers' market in Shockoe Bottom?" It doesn't have to be a good reason, just a reason. Local produce is available in the supermarkets such as Kroger and Ukrops. Farmers can easily sell to the supermarkets, consumers can easily buy produce there. Finally, some retail concepts just die for no good reason. (Sometimes they thrive for no good reason, too.) Business is risky. The unknowns outnumber the known factors.