Growers and Grocers

“You do that one egg thang,” said Carol Ann, in reference to a vendor at the Fredericksburg farmer’s Market (FFM) who came in the first market day with less than a dozen eggs. Carol Ann of Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, Texas, was referring to the idea that the best way to start selling in a market, is to sell whatever you have, even if it is a weeks’ worth of your hens’ production.

Looking out at her farm as she said this comment, I envisioned Carol Ann and her husband thirty years younger, starting with a similar small batch of hens, struggling to sell their produce on the side of the road. With my eyes set on a chicken coop that holds hundreds of chickens, and acres of lush beautiful organic gardens, I realized how far they have come. As I stood there, with my parents, Carol Ann, and Aunt Penny (the Mama of all hens), with mosquitos biting my legs, I saw in the eyes of those around me, of what only a long life of lessons can produce — years of wisdom and a beautiful garden, reeking of hard work, sweat, and laughter.

So, with farmer’s market on the mind, I am brought to one question — what makes a market successful? Must one endure years of labor before tasting the benefits? Or, perhaps can a simple smile on the children’s faces — who are running around with cookie in one hand and juicy peach in another — provide enough benefit to the farmers? Clearly there is a monetary point to be made, which is noting the business aspects of the market. While some may be a full time teacher at the local high school, others have devoted their lives to this process, thus basing one’s life on the income generated from day to day sales. So, does the economic drive push these foodies to have successful market days?

For Carol Ann, it is all about education — teaching the generations following ours is the key to her success. The important lesson to learn is how pertinent it is that we do what we can for our environment, and learn now, how to farm one’s own produce, as we see the media focusing on the decline of resources available to our society. Looking around to the hype on tomatoes carrying salmonella, it is evident that we must take action now, in order to obtain true success.

While I think it is all of these factors and more that make up a “successful” farmer’s market, it is also all about the process. It’s about starting slow and ecompassing the journey. Taking one step at a time(or one egg at a time) for a greater good.  It’s about becoming a team, making friends, utilizing resources, and relishing in every salty drop of sweat that drips off of you and everyone around, in that engulfing Texas heat. It’s about bringing a community together to produce a breathtaking outcome. It’s about every person that lent a hand in the process, whether they braved the entire project start to finish, or merely showed up to taste the week’s production.

It is pertinent to stay, in light of all these factors when visiting a farmer’s market. So go out and enjoy your local market, see what your neighbors have to offer, watch the children enjoy the watermelon as if it is the last piece they will eat, and remember to be creative in the kitchen with your new found produce. Enjoy!