Benton Harbor Fruit Market
 | |
| Industry | Farm Produce and Markets |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1860 |
| Headquarters | 1891 Territorial Road, , United States |
Area served | Southwest Michigan |
| Owner | Benton Harbor Fruit Market Inc. |
| Website | bentonharborfruitmarket |
Benton Harbor Fruit Market is a farmers' market in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, US, on the border with Benton Harbor. It was established in 1860 in Benton Harbor as an outlet for Southwest Michigan farm products.[1][2] By 2020, it operated four types of businesses including high volume wholesale produce, small wholesalers, retail, storage, and a market restaurant.[3] Benton Harbor is located in Michigan's fruit belt and is situated part way between Chicago and Detroit. The market operates seasonally.
History
[edit]At inception, the market operated from the city wharves on Lake Michigan. When the primary mode of transport shifted from ships to trains and trucks, the market moved to the north side of Benton Harbor. In the 1940s the market had grown to the point that it was called "the largest cash-to-growers outlet in the world". The market supplied produce to restaurants, grocery stores, and retail customers. In 1960 the market accommodated 293 buyer stalls on a 16-acre facility which included wholesale and retail markets, a restaurant, and a migrant labor camp. The principle products sold at that time were strawberries, peaches and tomatoes, representing half of the entire United States sales of these crops.[1] The market was owned and operated by the City of Benton Harbor, but today it is owned and operated by Benton Harbor Fruit Market Inc.
The market moved to Benton Township in 1967.[4]
On July 20, 1970, the market was the destination for a protest march organized by Michigan labor activists in support of the California Grape Boycott organized by Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and the United Farm Workers.[5]
In 2010, the nearby Southwest Michigan Regional Airport sued the Market for eminent domain to gain five acres of the fruit market's land.[6] In 2011 A Berrien County Circuit Court lawsuit resulted in a $2.25 million compensation to the Market.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Heffeman, Robert E.; Utter, Kenneth L. (1960). The Benton Harbor Michigan Fruit Market: Present and Proposed Facilities. Marketing Research Report No. 390. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation and Facilities Research Division.
- ^ Thomopoulos, Elaine Cotsirilos (2003). St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 9780738531908.
- ^ "About Us". Benton Harbor Fruit Market. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- ^ Matuszak, John (August 9, 2010). "150 and still growing". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
The often congested market moved to its present location in 1967 as part of the city's urban renewal plan, inadvertently taking away an important source of income for downtown businesses.
- ^ Salas, Nora (2015). Anti-Colonialism in the Michigan Chicano Movement (PhD). Michigan State University.
- ^ Swidwa, Julie (January 30, 2010). "Airport suing for 5 acres of fruit market's property". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- ^ "Verdicts & Settlements July 29, 2011: Outdoor fruit market disputes land taking". Michigan Lawyers Weekly. BridgeTower Media Holding Company, LLC. July 29, 2011.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Historic marker at market (Benton Harbor Market Authority, May 22, 1968)
- Western Michigan at Work September 27, 1947, episode hosted by Willis Dunbar, WKZO-AM, via G. Robert Vincent Voice Library (call number Voice 34601). "In this installment of 'Western Michigan at work,' Dr. Willis Dunbar profiles the Benton Harbor Fruit Market, 'the largest open-air, cash-to-grower market in the world.'"