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I attended a farmers' market last week in Oak Park, a suburb in the city of Chicago. The market is in its 31st year. Oak Park is famous for all the homes that were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The market is located in a church parking surrounded by community activities... including a girls field hockey game across the street, and the must have church fundraiser donuts! The ladies at the information booth were very helpful and friendly. One had been to our Walnut Creek Market and she said she loved it. A few years ago at the same market, I met a beekeeper who was the subject of the famous photographer Richard Avedon and the UC Davis Entomology Department. You might know the black and white picture of a thin, pasty, bald headed man covered in bees... he became famous too... it's a great story. Our first NEAR Italian Feast fundraiser was a success! We are so happy! The metamorphosis was something to see. The gorgeous food was prepared by a power house of cooks! The cool, calm, collected Chefs Lesley Stiles and Diana Glassman lead the cooking team which also included Barbara Kobsar and Gigi Walker. Thanks to all our generous farmers and vendors who donated their beautiful products. Thanks to LITA of Contra Costa who donated the Mata Ortiz pottery for the auction. Many thanks to all the auxiliary volunteers who picked up the product from the markets, washed, cut, prepped, decorated and cleaned. It was an impressive group effort. Thanks to all of you who bought tickets to attend our first Fundraising Event. Special thanks to Haute Stuff Restaurant owner Pat English and Chairs for Affairs. We are very grateful to the Raffle Prize Contributors: Calypso Twist, Chars Flowers and Alternative Business Solutions. Our farmers' market organization is reaching across the Pacific to extend our hand in another California Connection to "A Sister Market". This market was started with the help of one of CCCFM's own founding fathers who now lives in Nelson New Zealand. Some of you remember Geoff Fullick & the English man & we joked about the show "Are you being served?" Mr. Geoffries was the market manager before Mr. Keith. This October the Founders Market will be celebrating their 1st year anniversary. Their spring is our fall & and we will begin planning our 25th anniversary. Interesting! For us... these markets are the precious & similar to the eggs that were cared for in the movie "March of the Penguins." They have to be handed off carefully, supported and nurtured to become sustainable. Below is the press release from the Nelson group: A 'sister market' connection has been forged between the year-old Nelson Provincial Farmers’ Market and the longstanding Contra Costa County Farmers’ Markets (CCCFM) in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The relationship has been made possible through the friendships of Geoffrey Fullick, a founding member of the Nelson Farmer’s Market. Geoffrey came to New Zealand five years ago to be near his children, who had emigrated with their mother several years earlier. Before this, Geoffrey had been instrumental in starting the first Farmers Market in Contra Costa County 25 years ago. This market started small, with backyard growers selling their excess produce. It was soon so successful that it attracted commercial growers who eventually made the markets their principal outlet. It also sparked the start-up of 3 more markets in the county within the next 2 years. Almost 25 years later, these markets are still thriving. Geoffrey managed all the County markets at one time or another and also assisted with advertising copy and newsletters. Geoffrey has been a keen vegetable gardener himself since working in gardens as a child in England, during World War 2. He is committed to the philosophy of Farmers’ Markets, which incorporate fresh, local, seasonal produce brought to the market by the growers themselves. He enjoys getting to know the growers and their stories. After a career as a freelance writer and commercial filmwriter, Geoffrey, a fit and healthy 79 years, now contributes articles profiling the Nelson market’s stall-holders to the monthly newsletter. The adoption of the Nelson Farmers’ Market by its Californian counterpart, comes along with some financial support from that market’s Board of Directors as well as individual stall-holders pledging funds to support the further development of the Nelson market. "We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the Contra Costa County people" said Carol Duncan, Chair of the Nelson Farmers’ Market committee. "They have supported our market because they feel strongly about the value of the farmers’ market movement, wherever it’s happening, and also because they admire the passion and dedication of Geoffrey. We are really lucky to have had Geoffrey’s experience to assist with setting up our market." The Nelson Provincial Farmers' Market operates every Sunday, 9 – 1, in the grounds of the Founders Heritage Park. It celebrates its first birthday on Sunday 29 October with music, a cooking demonstration and a succulent selection of fine Nelson produce. |
Daylight
savings time is on its way out and we'll * fall back *
on the 29th of October. Already the days are getting shorter and
on Sunday mornings in Walnut Creek we have been setting up in the
dark so you early birds please be careful. The seasonal markets,
Pleasant Hill, Martinez, and Orinda will start winding down in
a few weeks. |
The NEAR
Fundraiser was an amazing success and I want to thank all the people that support us and our programs. I really want to thank Gigi Walker, Diana Adkins-Glassman, Barbara Kobsar, Diane McNally and her husband John, Bonnie and Gary Wakeman, Chuck Carpenter and Jessie along with her amazing family Jim, Jessica, Tim and Taylor who were there from the beginning of the day to the bitter clean up end! This event would not have been possible with out the invaluable help of these people. |