Whew! A lot has happened! Does anyone else feel like you’re a seed that’s just been planted? Drowning in the dark and cracking open, almost forced to grow? I am there with you in this collective rebirth we are experiencing, but all of a sudden I’m no longer an uncomfortable seed but a strong little sprout ready for whats coming, ready to bask in the sun and soak up the rain. In this time of introspection and grand revelations I believe many have had a hard look at many of the practices our society has allowed that may in fact contribute to our detriment. A big piece of that exploration is our country’s food system and how unstable we become when we rely solely or heavily on the global food system. This is why farmers markets continue to fight to exist along side the national and global dominators: Wallyworld and the like… We are reminded that when one power system or entity holds too many keys to our survival we can find ourselves locked out wondering how we ever allowed it. Farmers markets run on a decentralized model, a collective of independent producers who like you (because they are part of your community) want the best for our local economy but even more so want the best for our local families, for each other. They aren’t sitting in board rooms with spreadsheeting trying to squeeze out every penny…our producers look you in the eye and give you a fair price, they can shake your hand, your kids may even go to school together. Thats why our producers continue to do things ‘the old way’ ‘the hard way’ and ‘by hand’ to deliver to market the most nutrient dense, natural, best for the soil/water/ecology food available in our town. Like many of you may be experiencing for the first time, sowing seeds and hatching chicks, growing food at our altitude is no easy feat: with that sun so hot and the ground so hard and those temperature swings so extreme. Farming here takes courage and the prospect of an unexpected act of nature that can send us to ruin is ever present, it is something our producers face every season. But hey that’s something we all face as humans, we’ve just become less aware of the chaos of the natural world, of the natural cycles. Plants in fertile soil will grow strong and blossom, may these parallels to our own lives continue as we move forward out of this uncomfortable feeling of having little to no control. We all have the most impact right here in the community around us, what will be your impact here and now as you emerge with a new view, a new reality? We commit to our community’s food security, it has and always will be the Taos Farmers Market’s top priority. We will do this by upholding the traditions of farming in this valley/region and by bringing fresh food to market weekly.
with love,
Jennifer – TFM Market Manager