The Weblog
*SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING MARKETS AND MANAGERS:
Aug 23 – James
Sep 6 – Barbara
Sep 20 – Julie
Oct 4 – James (trade with Karen)
Oct 18 – Karen
Nov 1 – Barbara
Nov 15 – Julie
Offset date due to Thanksgiving
Dec 6 – Karen
Dec 20 – James
Jan 3 – Barb
Jan 17 – Julie
Jan 31 – Karen
Please let the market managers group know if you need to reschedule or change.
The movement is growing!
This post expired on January 29, 2023.
Howdy all Spa City Co-op Members,
Last weekend I gave a presentation about online farmers markets at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) Convention in Little Rock. My own class was small, about 25 attendees, but the conference at-large numbered over 1000.
What I saw there lifted my heart in a way I want to share with all of you. The participants varied widely in age, income, and race, but all were part of a movement to preserve small enterprises in food production to feed the people. I spoke with Vietnamese flower growers from Tennessee, three African-American sisters from a remote area of Mississippi who just opened their second free-range egg farm, and a young CSA farmer from Alabama. All were engaged, hopeful, and enthusiastic about the growth of the local food movement as a balancing presence to giant corporate conglomerates controlling our food sources.
I was especially glad to see so many young producers in their 20s and 30s, taking farming as a career. This is perhaps a silver lining to the recession. Much has been written about the aging of the American farmer, whose average age is now 67. That’s old to do the kind of hard physical work that farming demands. These young people bring their strength to the table in many ways, and online markets are an example of the innovative strategies they will implement to keep our food supply healthy. I got to meet Eric Wagonner, our site’s programmer, who attended my class in a kilt! What a cool guy.
You the Co-op member and customer should feel good about ‘voting with your fork’ every time you place an order. [Our vendors Arkansas Natural Produce and Youngblood Farms also contributed to this conference.] We at Spa City Co-op truly are a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Happy Eating,
Karen Holcomb