Maxibel(le), my fecund bush bean plants, have produced - from 0.1 ounces of seed - 1 pound of tender, tasty beans, and the plants are just getting under way. This week the Food Bank plots at Interbay P-Patch will exceed 1,600 pounds of produce delivered to food banks this year.
And last Sunday, the paper had a long article by Peter Steinbrueck celebrating Seattle's Pike Place Market's 100th Birthday. Calling the Market the heart and soul of the city, Peter tried his best to sing the praises of the Farmers Market, but what he wrote about was a dream rather than the current reality.
The farmers, the soul of the market, have almost become extinct. This sentence of Peter's says it all: "But it is the ambiance and rare experience of meeting, face-to-face, the real producers of the many specialty goods, arts and crafts and local farm products that so charm us." Please note that the farmers were mentioned last.
Yes, other cities have looked to the tradition of Seattle's market, but they realize that the farmers will not be the economic engine needed for the success of a "farmers market." So, fancy hybrids have been developed, with high-end shops selling precious foodstuffs from around the world, a few local producers of specialty foods, and then a few local farmers. All of these so-called farmers markets are dependent upon tourist dollars for their success. One could say it is just another mall shopping experience, for these new markets in different cities pretty much look the same.
Our smart local farmers figured it out, banded together and now are thriving in the neighborhood farmers markets. The energy level at the Queen Anne market continues to be strong and the farmers tell me that they are doing very well.
Yes, it will be important to pass the special city levy in 2008. The levy will provide the necessary funding for the much-needed major maintenance and capital improvements at the Market. We would do the same thing for the Space Needle, for they are both Seattle icons.
The sweet irony in all of this is that now the grand farmers markets can be found throughout in our neighborhoods. And this is true in many large cities across America. While we continue to push our farmers farther and farther away from our city centers, we still seem to need their presence in our urban midst. I just hope during the Market's 100th birthday celebration that the farmers will re-emerge as an important element and be given the chance to grow into a viable and thriving presence in the next century of the Market.
[[In-content Ad]]
