Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market

One day, my parents decided to take my siblings and I to go buy some groceries. Since there was a Walmart and Publix close to our house, I had expected that we would be going to one of those stores. However, when we arrived, the first thing I witnessed were big red letters that read, “Nam Dae Mun,” and to the side in green and white it says, “Farmers Market.” Since my family and I had been going to regular supermarkets to purchase foods most of the time, I did not understand why my family had chosen now to go to another place. As we continued to make our way to the entrance, I suddenly saw pictures of fruits, vegetables, meats, and live fish. Once I was finally inside, there was instantly a different smell that gave me a nauseating feeling and caused me to want to go back home. Nonetheless, my family decided to keep going, and I was immediately greeted by an entire section of only fruits and vegetables. There were some that were just out in the open, and there were others that had a big sign above them that said either “Produce” or “Organic.” As we kept going around the store, we arrived at the seafood section where I found out that those live fish that I saw in the pictures are actually killed right in front of you. Once away from the seafood section, the rest of the market looked like your average supermarkets. While the smell and the killing of fish were some characteristics that caused the market to stand out, there were other unique aspects about this farmer’s market that grabbed my parent’s attention.

Nam Dae Mun Farmers market
Image by Dogwood Blue 

 Inside the Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market, I’ve noticed that the food sold gives customers more variety and diverse food options. There are food sections that contain foods from South America, Asia, America, and other different cultures that are not in other markets in the U.S. According to the market’s website, the intention of the market is to help “many diverse ethnic families, by offering international foods” (“About Us”). Because the U.S. has a very diverse population in general, a grand majority of the people will be able to find the types of foods they enjoy in this market. Correspondingly, since the market has had much success with the customers because of its diversity in food, it “has since expanded to seven more locations” since it first started (“About Us”). It has become evident that the market’s purpose of providing diverse foods to their customers has resulted in it being a favored market for several. Customers also have the possibility of trying foods from other cultures other than their own. For instance, you have the option to purchase spices from Peru, dumplings from China, and a big bag of Doritos if that is what you wish. As a result, if someone desires a more diverse diet, they can easily obtain one by purchasing their foods in Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s Market.

While the diversity of food options throughout the market does attract people’s attention, that is not the only reason people regularly shop there. Luis Silvia, a long-term customer of the market, confirmed that his decision on habitually shopping at Nam Dae Mun Farmers market was mainly because of the prices the market has on its items. Nam Dae Mun Farmers market is known for containing foods and items with relatively lower prices than the ones at supermarkets so that their customers can better afford them. This captivated the attention of Silvia who claims, “Nam Dae Mun Farmers market is better because it is cheaper than supermarkets,” when asked why he regularly went there. Since the people in the U.S. prefer to save as much money as they can, it is logical to believe that food being inexpensive is extremely important to someone. Silvia is a person who works a decent job, but the amount of wealth he has is limited, which means he cannot purchase whatever he wants all the time. Though Silvia has it tough, most of the market’s customers are common people of the U.S. who usually work minimum wage jobs and, therefore, cannot always afford the prices regular supermarkets offer them. The prices that regular supermarkets have on their items tend to cost more than expected, and it consequently turns quickly into an encumbrance. Hence, this characteristic that the market has with its prices is one that benefits the needs and wants of Silvia, along with the majority of the U.S. population. Therefore, Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s market gives customers that relate to Silvia some relief and helps make obtaining basic necessities not such a burden on them.

Farmers' market foods
Image by ghbrett

 Nam Dae Mun Farmers market has given people much relief by offering them food and items that they either want or desire at a reasonable price. For many customers that regularly go grocery shopping there, these are positive characteristics of the market that causes it to stand out from the others. However, while the market has its decent qualities, there may customers that are deceived by the market’s name. Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market has the words “farmers market” in its name, and there are several people who believe that the foods offered in farmers' markets are the healthiest foods you’ll find in the country. People such as Michael Pollan, a writer who has written countless articles about the importance of nutritious food, has influenced people’s thoughts about farmers' markets. For instance, in Pollan’s article, “Eat Food: Food Defined,” Pollan states, “When you eat from a farmers' market, you automatically eat food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious” (17). Therefore, this type of experience and outcomes it what most people expect when deciding to purchase their foods at Nam Dae Mun Farmers market. Nonetheless, even though Nam Dae Mun Farmers market claims to be a farmers' market, it actually has a strong resemblance to a regular supermarket. Technically, a farmers' market consists of actually farmers selling their foods that they grow on their farms to consumers directly on booths or stands. Nam Dae Mun Farmers market, however, is a big building with food that could have either been processed or not, and there is not interaction with the farmers who grow the foods and the consumers. Since the market does not resemble or function like a traditional farmers' market, it would theoretically fit into the category of a supermarket.

Image by fluido and franz

Because Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s market has a physical appearance of a supermarket, this could possibly cause there to be much understandable distrust and doubts about what the market truly offers to their customers and from where. Judging by the foods I saw when I went to the market, they made a mixture of both wholesome and processed foods. Therefore, the customers should not expect to easily acquire the healthy foods that Pollan encourages people to obtain in this market. Instead, customers will soon recognize that Nam Dae Mun Farmers market is identical to a supermarket, such as Walmart, once they decide to visit the place. However, even though consumers eventually realize that Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s market is really just a supermarket, most of them continue to buy their groceries there regardless. It seems that most customers have decided to acknowledge the market’s great qualities and ignore the criticism it receives. Whether it be because of the diversity of international foods or the low prices the foods are set at, the market does not seem to be disappointing its customers. If the market did not have an impact on its customers, the market would have been a failed business project from the instance it started all those years ago back in 2005.

 Nam Dae Mun Farmers market has been a place that many families, such as my own, have preferred when buying groceries for years. For my family, it’s mainly because of the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables they are able to find throughout the market. For others, it might be because of the low prices the foods have the different foods they can obtain, or maybe it’s just the closest market to their home. Regardless of why Nam Dae Mun Farmers market has all the customers it does, it has achieved its overall purpose of providing different types of foods for all kinds of people to enjoy. Though it does have its defects and people have concerns about the market, what market does not have any problems whatsoever. The important part to realize is that there would be a larger amount of people and families in society that would be struggling to get good affordable foods without Nam Dae Mun Farmers market.

"seoul"by fluido & franz is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

"IMGP1791"by Dogwood Blue is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

"Oct 23, 2010 Farmers Market"by ghbrett is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Works Cited: “About Us.” Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s Market, www.ndmmarket.com. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019.
Pollan, Michal. “Eat Food: Food Defined.” Food Matters. 2nd ed., edited by Holly Bauer, Bedford St. Martin’s, 2017, pp 10-19.
Silvia, Luis. Personal interview. 25 Sept. 2019.