County Commissioners and NC Legislature Members

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Subject
My Raleigh State Farmers Market

Your Message
I am writing to express my opposition to a plan funded by the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy Group that would fundamentally change the face of the Raleigh State Farmers Market in ways that are not reflective of the mission of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Their stated mission is: To provide services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians.
This plan, which was approved by the Raleigh City Council and will cost an estimated $50 million, would displace long standing tenants of the market in favor of luxury condominiums, a playground and boutique hotel.
The Raleigh State Farmers Market was once again voted as a top destination by readers of the News and Observer in 2019. The market and its tenants have worked for decades to further the mission of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture while meeting the needs of North Carolinians from the Triangle to the coast. They were not involved in the development of the plan. They were not asked for their perspective. They were told, after the fact, that “the dirt” the market sits on is more important and more valuable than the businesses that occupy it.
I respectfully disagree. I believe that there is no better use of land than feeding our population. The market exists to help farmers recoup the “cost of their dirt” that they grow our crops on.
I want our city to be diverse by having a grand park AND a grand farmers market. Dorothea Dix Park is 308 acres, and the Raleigh State Farmers Market occupies an additional 75 acres. There’s room to meet the needs of the whole community without sacrificing MY Raleigh State Farmers Market.
Respectfully,