The Great Santa Rosa Farmer's Market Controversy

[Ice Queen]

40 year old Original Santa Rosa Farmer's Market (Wed & Sat mornings) is in DIRE jeopardy. Sonoma County Parks has decided to give over the lease to a loosely organized small group who has no board and no history of running a large farmer's market. The hard work of farmer organizers has been usurped by backroom politics (at least one of the new group (Gleason Ranch) was temporarily suspended due to failure to abide vendor rules) This lease does not affect other Sonoma County Farmers Markets, only the one at the Santa Rosa Vets Building.

When we spoke at the Supervisors meeting, the Board Chair, Shirlee Zane sat stone faced and unresponsive to the voices of the 20-30 vendors and customers who feel passionately about this matter. In a meeting with the head of Sonoma County Parks, the group was also stonewalled. We are distressed that Sonoma County Parks terminated negotiations on lease renewal giving over the lease to interlopers with deep pockets. My feeling is that the new grpup will undermine the beautiful community atmosphere which exists there. Many community organizations have been allowed to set up information booths and events there. Don't let the new managgement run this beautiful market into the ground.

Remember this market was built by vendors who get up at 4-6am on cold winter mornings and weekends to keep this place alive sometimes losing money that week paying space rent.

Please notify each and every Supervisor of your positive experience with the original Santa Rosa Farmer's Market and wish it to continue under present management. SAVE THE ORIGINAL SANTA ROSA fARMERS MARKET
LONG MAY IT STAND!

Valerie.Brown@Sonoma-county.org (1st District)
David.Rabbitt@Sonoma-county.org (2nd District)
Sharlee.Zane@sonoma-county.org (3rd District) (corrected email address)
MikeMcGuire@sonoma-county.org (4th district)
Efren.Carrillo@sonoma-county.org (5th District)

[Barry]

Fellow Waccovian Michele Anna Jordan recently did a show on the Santa Rosa Farmer's Market on her show: "Mouthful, the Wine Country's Most Delicious Hour":

Santa Rosa Farmers Market - March 11, 2012

Mouthful looks back to the founding of the first farmers market in Santa Rosa, started more than four decades ago. As the county's signal market faces what may be its biggest challenge so far - a take-over challenge by a few renegade vendors, the possibility of a new location - it is important to understand the market's history, which has survived troubles before and is struggling valiantly to do so again.

Guests include current market manager Paula Downing, long-term vendor Cliff Silva and Ma & Pa's Garden, Hilda Swartz, who managed the market for nearly 20 years and others, including an interview with an original founder, Bob Cannard Jr.

You can listen to the show at the Mouthful page at the KRCB website.

[DynamicBalance]

40 year old Original Santa Rosa Farmer's Market (Wed & Sat mornings) is in DIRE jeopardy. Sonoma County Parks has decided to give over the lease to a loosely organized small group who has no board and no history of running a large farmer's market. The hard work of farmer organizers has been usurped by backroom politics (at least one of the new group (Gleason Ranch) was temporarily suspended due to failure to abide vendor rules) This lease does not affect other Sonoma County Farmers Markets, only the one at the Santa Rosa Vets Building.

When we spoke at the Supervisors meeting, the Board Chair, Shirlee Zane sat stone faced and unresponsive to the voices of the 20-30 vendors and customers who feel passionately about this matter. In a meeting with the head of Sonoma County Parks, the group was also stonewalled. We are distressed that Sonoma County Parks terminated negotiations on lease renewal giving over the lease to interlopers with deep pockets. My feeling is that the new grpup will undermine the beautiful community atmosphere which exists there. Many community organizations have been allowed to set up information booths and events there. Don't let the new managgement run this beautiful market into the ground.

I'd like to offer a different perspective on the situation with the Farmer's Markets.

First of all, I believe the original poster has some of their facts mistaken. My understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) is that there is no lease for the Santa Rosa Vets Memorial Building, only a license, which is on a first-come first-served basis. When the Original Farmer's Market (OFM) was notified of the rent increase, they made it clear that they were not interested in staying. They stated that such a dramatic increase in rent would force them to raise the booth fees substantially, which would hurt local farmers. They were actively scouting out new locations for their market, and it was only after another group (the Redwood Empire Farmer's Market - REFM) offered to pay the increased rent and was granted the license by the Parks Dept that the OFM expressed their desire to stay in the same location.

A few background facts.......according to the Press Democrat, the OFM has been paying deeply discounted (75% off!) rent for years for the Vets Building. Even after the rent increase, they would still be paying less than half of what anyone else would pay to rent the space. Furthermore, Paula Downing (OFM manager) recently was granted a 30% pay increase to run the farmer's market in question. In spite of these facts, Paula has stated that she would raise the booth fees for farmers to address the rent increase. The REFM, on the other hand, has stated that they have found a way to pay the increased rent while keeping booth fees the same, which is clearly better for local farmers. Surely if Paula was as sincerely concerned about local farmers as she makes herself out to be, she could have found a way to make the new rent work for everyone. Paula's willingness to pass on all of the increased costs to the farmers without offering to take the slightest pay cut herself does not reflect well on her, in my opinion.

Additionally, Paula has stated publicly right here on Wacco that she does not make unilateral decisions about who gets to be in the market based on her personal likes and dislikes, and that she has a board of directors that can overrule her if they don't like her decisions. I know for a fact that this is untrue, because my husband (who is the farm manager of a local farm that is on the Steering Committee of the REFM) recently asked Paula for an application for a booth at the Vets Building Farmer's Market. She denied him an application after learning which farm he represented. Now, that seems like a pretty unilateral decision to me. How is the board supposed to overrule her decision if the farm is not even granted an application in the first place? Who is really being stonewalled here? The worst part is that Paula even acknowledged that the farm in question has excellent quality produce, and she still would not give my husband an application.

Now that the REFM has been granted the license for the Vets Building, Paula and her supporters have been making all manner of false accusations against the new group. In fact, I believe that the majority of the misinformation floating around originates from them. Even Ice Queen here has stated that the new group does not have a board, which is blatantly false. There was just an article in the Press Democrat about the REFM appointing three initial board members, and they'll be appointing three more soon, so they do in fact have a board. It is my understanding that all of the initial board members have extensive experience in managing non-profits. By the way, representatives of the current market management have stated publicly that the new group was not a non-profit at the time the contract was signed, which is also false to the best of my knowledge.

Personally, I will be writing the Supervisors to express my support for the REFM. I don't approve of the way Paula is running the market, and I definitely don't approve of the way she and her supporters are slandering the REFM and feeding false information to the public.

Thanks for reading,

Laurel Blair, NTP
www.dynamicbalancenutrition.com

[biannoli]

The mis-information in your story is astonishing and clearly from someone who prefers sensationalism to something truthful. I am not the one to try to set you straight because I am not in the habit of spitting into the wind. I do wish to inform potential readers that your opinion is just that, your opinion. Which you can have but it is miles away from the facts. Good luck.

Lets follow the money....
(post has been removed by the poster)

[Barry]

[Farmer Dan has chosen to remove his post that I am responding to. - Barry]

Seems like you have a dog in this fight, Dan. Are you involved with Gleason Ranch, which it sounds like is bidding to take over the SR farmer's market?

I think it would be best if all information would be put on the table, on all sides.
And as much I can enjoy a good cat fight, especially if it's colorful and well written, I think it would be appropriate for all sides to withdraw their claws and calmly state facts and concerns.

Lets follow the money....
(post has been removed by the poster)
...

[farmerdan]

Barry,

For the sake of harmony, I deleted my post, but of course it continues in yours and the former one.
If you read the post 'Alert! Santa Rosa Farmers Markets NOT in danger!' you will see that it is signed by the board members of Redwood Empire Farmers Markets of which I am a member.

Gleason Ranch is NOT part of the board. They are a members of our 18 member steering committee who are current or former vendors and many others are supporting this effort. Most of our members have been board members of the Santa Rosa Market as well.

I clearly went too far in my previous post, but was getting frustrated hearing that the 'Farmers Market is in Jeopardy of closing.' This is simply not true. There will be a farmers market at the vets building either managed by Redwood Empire Farmers Markets or Santa Rosa Farmers Markets that is clear.

Santa Rosa Farmers Markets is currently pressuring the county to reverse thier decision to license the space to REFM and we respect thier right to do so. But when they tell customers that the market will close and they should petition thier supervisor, this is simply false.

As to why I am involved:

1) French Garden Farm has never been allowed into the Sebastopol Market even though we are one of the only produce growers in the area with year round production. We have been criticized for having our own market at the restaurant, but this is only because we can't sell in the downtown market.
2) After two years in the Santa Rosa farmers market, we were kicked out on less than a days notice with no reason. I had to lay off two emplyees and cut back production. Thier families suffered and the selection of produce in the Santa Rosa Market went down.
3) We have been refused even an application to reenter the Santa Rosa market as recently as 4 weeks ago with no reason given.
4) My story can be repeated many times over from what I have heard. I am not doing this because of my situation so much as all of the other small farmers who have been kicked out or refused entry for no valid reason. (This does include but is certainly not limited to Gleason Ranch.)

The real question here is who does the market serve. Do they serve the community as any 501C3 should or do they serve the market manager and the farmers who currently are in the market? If certified markets serve the farming community (as they are required to by state law), then they should give preference to local farmers, ranchers and ag producers. There should be due process for applicants and vendor termination. They should not fill up with craft vendors and resellers when there are serious local farmers who are not allowed in.

Take a look at the Sebastopol Market. If you read the city's use permit as I have, you will see that no more than 20% of the market booths can be allocated to non-farmers. And within that 20%, they must all be ag product crafts like wool or leather from animals that the farmers grew. This is not what you find so why are local farmers routinely told they cannot be in the market?

Having said that, we are not opposed to crafters or ag producers, but farmers markets should first and foremost be for farmers. If there are local farmers who cannot get thier eggs, meat, produce and fruit to customers because they can't get into a market, we all are penalized.

Dan

[Barry]

[ biannoli had posted an unkind response to Farmer Dan's post above. I have removed it. ]

Barbara,

Dan was kind enough to post a respectful reply, even if you dispute parts of it. Please also stick to facts, starting with what's your role and interest in the matter.

I have been in touch with Paula about this, but she has not submitted a public reply yet.

Gosh, I don't know what the right level of transparency is appropriate for the the farmer's market. Is it a 501c3? Is there a board? Who's on it? Are there minutes? Seems like some more transparency, regarding both decision making and finances would be helpful especially since they are such a public service and seem to be supported somewhat by the government.

I'd like to hear some wise guidance of how this matter should be handled.

It does seem like the information should come out, though. Information based on facts, and not character assassination.

Michelle Anna Jordan did a Mouthful show on the Santa Rosa's Farmer's Market recently. I posted it here. Sounds like it's time for me and anybody else interested in this matter to give it a listen.

The dispute in this matter seems to be particularly mean-spirited, which surprises me. Aren't farmers supposed to be Über-groovy? Once again I urge all parties to be calm and stick to the facts. You might also ask questions of the other party.

Dan Smith...Holy cow...

[applefan]

In pursuit of truth, Farmer Dan/Dan Smith needs to acknowledge that 2 of his employees requested applications on his behalf for space at the Sebastopol Farm Market at 2 sifferent times, and were given applications and did not return them by the deadline. When Farmer Dan then requested the space after the deadline, he was told that the spaces were already full. He then wrote an inflamatory letter to the Press Democrat attacking Paula Downing, rather than speak with her directly. Then he set up his own, competing farm market on his restaurant property on Sundays, to compete with the Sebastopol market. this all smacks of retribution and spite.

Apple Fan

[Barry]

...this all smacks of retribution and spite.

Why is it that no one (aside from Laurel) can talk about this issue without slinging arrows?

Farmer Dan then wrote an inflamed letter to the PD

The letter to the PD is here.

[Geni Houston]

Or MANY issues on waccobb - we are supposed to be a consious, careing community

Why is it that no one (aside from Laurel) can talk about this issue without slinging arrows?


The letter to the PD is here.

[Bird Watcher]

Yesterday, I chewed through Heather Irwin's blog (PD Bite Club) about the Farmer's Market issue, plus the reader commentary that follows it, which contains plenty of slings & arrows. I agree with one reader that Heather does a balanced and thorough job of reporting, even if another commentator says she's not a "real reporter." Here it is:

http://www.biteclubeats.com/2012/03/...continues.html

[Sara S]

It hasn't much to do with the Farmers' Market topic here, but remember when Palm Drive Hospital was about to go under? It was Dan smith who stepped up with a financial contribution which averted the closure (augmenting the bake sale I held in Cazadero ).

This tells me a whole lot about his generosity and his dedication to this community. Has anyone trashing him here done anything like this for this town?

I just read the letter which Applefan called "inflamatory" (sic), and if you think that letter is inflammatory, I'll write you one that is....

Sara

In pursuit of truth, Farmer Dan/Dan Smith needs to acknowledge that 2 of his employees requested applications on his behalf for space at the Sebastopol Farm Market at 2 sifferent times, and were given applications and did not return them by the deadline. When Farmer Dan then requested the space after the deadline, he was told that the spaces were already full. He then wrote an inflamatory letter to the Press Democrat attacking Paula Downing, rather than speak with her directly. Then he set up his own, competing farm market on his restaurant property on Sundays, to compete with the Sebastopol market. this all smacks of retribution and spite.

Apple Fan

[Ice Queen]

Paula is worth every penny he is paid. In concert with the farmers and vendore (and customers) she has helped build up this market to a bi-weekly community event. I have looked forward to it almost weekly and it has enhanced my life. Another benefit of the market is the bonus bucks for seniors because the cost of fuel to market is high. I am grateful for the warmth and work of the individuals who vend there and I stand in support of their hard work.

[Ice Queen]

It seems rightious that there is anger in response to the takeover of the SRFM. Just because Dan has deep pockets does not mean that he can run roughshod over the hard work of farmers who have built it up and sustained it over a long period of time. I have been a customer there for over 10 years spending from $10 to $100 at each visit.

Last Saturday at the market the takeover people were actively recruiting farmers and vendors during the market and were politely asked to take their business outside the market. If the new group is interested in this market then why did they not ask the farmers in advance of their takeover if the farmers were discontented with the present board and the direction it takes. At a recent poll of the present vendors, 90% wish to remain with the present farmers market.

As to farmers being gentle people, to a man/woman they ARE but I doubt they will sit idly by to watch a takeover of their hard work. How many of you get up on a cold winter morning @ 6am or earlier to set up in the rain to lose money paying for your space that day, because of the dearth of customers on a cold rainy winter morning?

Oh yes, on a warm sunny day during a tomato festival one is only too willing to come by to taste the free samples, enjoy the free music and even dance a little (actually usually only the kids do any dancing).

Once again I call on all of you to support the original Santa Rosa Farmers Market contacting each member of the board of supervisors with your support.

[Helen Shane]

I shop at the Sebastopol Farm Market, and appreciate very much Paula's interaction with the community. As an elder, I also appreciate the bonus bucks. Over the years I have found Paula to be very much in touch with the community. She has given support to many community needs.

Given the limited space available at the present Sebastopol Market, I applaud Paula for the juggling she has done to accomodate many vendors. I hope that the Santa Rosa Market will remain in her charge. As one who has frequently been the target of personal slurs from those who disagree with me, I admire Paula's fortitude under fire. Keep on keepin' on, Paula.

Paula is worth every penny he is paid. In concert with the farmers and vendore (and customers) she has helped build up this market to a bi-weekly community event. I have looked forward to it almost weekly and it has enhanced my life. Another benefit of the market is the bonus bucks for seniors because the cost of fuel to market is high. I am grateful for the warmth and work of the individuals who vend there and I stand in support of their hard work.

[biannoli]

Thanks, Helen!

I shop at the Sebastopol Farm Market, and appreciate very much Paula's interaction with the community. As an elder, I also appreciate the bonus bucks. Over the years I have found Paula to be very much in touch with the community. She has given support to many community needs.

Given the limited space available at the present Sebastopol Market, I applaud Paula for the juggling she has done to accomodate many vendors. I hope that the Santa Rosa Market will remain in her charge. As one who has frequently been the target of personal slurs from those who disagree with me, I admire Paula's fortitude under fire. Keep on keepin' on, Paula.

[Dian Hardy]

Like Helen, I have shopped at the Sebastopol Market for many years. During a period of time living in Santa Rosa, I also attended the SR Market, though Sebastopol remains my favorite for its size and spirit. Paula Downing is a cheerful, hardworking woman who greets me with a genuine smile and the offer of a senior discount ticket. When I asked her for donations for a friend who's going through chemo, she didn't hesitate to help, and now each Sunday, close to the end of the market, she goes from vendor to vendor for donations. I have never known Paula Downing to be other than fair and caring in a demanding job where politics has recently created divisiveness.

I wish to give a big shout-out to Paula and the vendors whose donations go toward giving our friend the strength to stay the course of treatment.

[Praksys]

CHANGE IS GOOD! The new and fresh Santa Rosa Farmers Market
Sounds like sour grapes to me! When someone takes advantage of a situation, running a business and community benefit event like a fiefdom, they eventually get called out on it. The farm market in Santa Rosa will move on and be the better for it. I think it a low blow to blame deep pockets. More like avoiding the issues. After all, when not for profit organizations ask for gifts, where do you think the donations come from? They come from someone who has been successful, has extra and is willing to share. Good business practice and fairness should come before pettiness and personal preferences.
D. O.

[Ice Queen]

I don't agree - the bulk of donations come from rdinary people-myaelf included. Why is it that Barry monitors my posts and not yours. Pettiness, bah!!! The petty ones ar those who cannot abide by rules and do takeovers so they can plunder what others have worked so hard for. Support the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market. Contact your supervisor with your support.

CHANGE IS GOOD! The new and fresh Santa Rosa Farmers Market
Sounds like sour grapes to me! When someone takes advantage of a situation, running a business and community benefit event like a fiefdom, they eventually get called out on it. The farm market in Santa Rosa will move on and be the better for it. I think it a low blow to blame deep pockets. More like avoiding the issues. After all, when not for profit organizations ask for gifts, where do you think the donations come from? They come from someone who has been successful, has extra and is willing to share. Good business practice and fairness should come before pettiness and personal preferences.
D. O.

[Sara S]

Thanks, Praksys; I was going to say something similar. Just because a guy has money (which he earned himself) doesn't make him the big bad wolf; Dan Smith could have done anything he wanted with his money, and he chose to do a service to the community (and to the entire west county, I might add; when the situation was so dire for Palm Drive, I lived way out in the Cazadero hills, and closure of the hospital would have meant that my neighbors and I were 50 miles from a hospital. I didn't have any money, so I had a bake sale and spent several days on the 'phone bank calling people in the district to ask support for the bond issue which was to be on the ballot. Hell, out where I was wasn't even in the district, so we couldn't even vote.)

Sara

CHANGE IS GOOD! The new and fresh Santa Rosa Farmers Market
Sounds like sour grapes to me! When someone takes advantage of a situation, running a business and community benefit event like a fiefdom, they eventually get called out on it. The farm market in Santa Rosa will move on and be the better for it. I think it a low blow to blame deep pockets. More like avoiding the issues. After all, when not for profit organizations ask for gifts, where do you think the donations come from? They come from someone who has been successful, has extra and is willing to share. Good business practice and fairness should come before pettiness and personal preferences.
D. O.

[Barry]

Sorry folks, I can't attend to this today. I'll clean up and combine the various Farm Market threads this weekend.

Guidelines are that you can't call names or characterize others actions. You can objectively describe actions, such as "I was turned down and she said...". You can express your feeling if you identify them as such and be clear that you are talking about yourself rather projecting motives, intentions, etc. on others.

So out of line comments below include:

"akes advantage of a situation, running a business and community benefit event like a fiefdom,"
"pettiness"
"The petty ones ar those who cannot abide by rules and do takeovers so they can plunder what others have worked so hard for."

I don't agree - the bulk of donations come from rdinary people-myaelf included. Why is it that Barry monitors my posts and not yours. Pettiness, bah!!! The petty ones ar those who cannot abide by rules and do takeovers so they can plunder what others have worked so hard for. Support the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market. Contact your supervisor with your support.

[Barry]

Here's a video interview with Dan Smith done by the P.D.'s Sonoma Watch.

[gaiasophia]

I don't agree - the bulk of donations come from rdinary people-myaelf included. Why is it that Barry monitors my posts and not yours. Pettiness, bah!!! The petty ones ar those who cannot abide by rules and do takeovers so they can plunder what others have worked so hard for. Support the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market. Contact your supervisor with your support.

I don't know who Barry monitors etc., but I absolutely agree with Ice Queen with everything else said.
We of OccupySR are looking into getting involved also. It sounds like another case of the 1% oppressing the 99%.
Who has the most money, should not be "the bottom line" here or anywhere else!
I don't usually post on WACCO, and I probably won't continue posting on this. I'll say it again---
Express your support for the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market ! ASAP!
Contact Board of Supervisors!!!

[Praksys]

There is no take over. I would like to suggest that occupySR do a little homework first. Demonizing someone one by calling them part of the "1%" can be an abuse of power. Do you speak for All the members or is this your personal take on the situation? It is not a case of the 1% oppressing the 99%. Please do some investigating before throwing your weight around. The former manager's retaliation against the Gleason Ranch and others did little to inspire confidence (SR PD article February 24, 2012). It is not fair or accurate to characterize the new group of eighteen as part of the so called, 1 percent. It is time to move on. It's easy to be against something, what are you for and what have you contributed to the local community?

I don't know who Barry monitors etc., but I absolutely agree with Ice Queen with everything else said.
We of OccupySR are looking into getting involved also. It sounds like another case of the 1% oppressing the 99%.
Who has the most money, should not be "the bottom line" here or anywhere else!
I don't usually post on WACCO, and I probably won't continue posting on this. I'll say it again---
Express your support for the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market ! ASAP!
Contact Board of Supervisors!!!

[gaiasophia]

Here's a video interview with Dan Smith done by the P.D.'s Sonoma Watch.

Thank you for posting this video, Barry. With kindness and respect to everyone, I offer the following:
For me action speaks louder than words. The video was filmed with Dan sitting in a greenhouse. In the beginning of the video, Dan tells us of his fondness and long experience with gardening and farming. As I was listening carefully with an open mind to what was being said, I couldn't ignore the coffee mug to the right (Dan's left). The mug is sitting on top of young plants.
Having worked/volunteered on farms/in greenhouses--I have NEVER seen a farmer (or gardener) put a mug down on precious young greenhouse plants!
And if the farmer observed that a mug had been left there by someone else (I have seen that happen!)---the farmer would instantly take the mug off and (depending on farmer) the person who left it there would be gently educated or sharply scolded, to never do such a thing again! Having noticed this huge inconsistency (re: his words about his long experience with gardening and farming, etc...) gives me huge cause to doubt how much of a farmer(or gardener) Dan truly is... and consequently doubt the honesty of his other words. I could perhaps attribute the mug-on-plants issue as nervousness about being filmed, to a non-experienced or novice gardener, but that is not how he represents himself... I will leave it to others to comment on his words.

[Barry]

Thank you for posting this video, Barry. With kindness and respect to everyone, I offer the following:
For me action speaks louder than words. The video was filmed with Dan sitting in a greenhouse. In the beginning of the video, Dan tells us of his fondness and long experience with gardening and farming. As I was listening carefully with an open mind to what was being said, I couldn't ignore the coffee mug to the right (Dan's left). The mug is sitting on top of young plants.
Having worked/volunteered on farms/in greenhouses--I have NEVER seen a farmer (or gardener) put a mug down on precious young greenhouse plants!
...

I noticed the mug too, but to me it does not look like it is on the plants, but rather on the bench behind the flat. And even if its on the flat, there easily could have been no plants growing on that section. I can tell you for sure that Dan is presently an avid small farmer. Perhaps its time to reconsider "the honesty of his other words". [Edit: Claire pointed out in a subsequent post, that mug moves later in the video]

[Sara S]

Well, have you ever been interviewed by a reporter on camera? Do you think that you'd be totally focused on your coffee cup and where you put it?

I am watching this thread out of mere curiosity. I never make it to this market. However, the mug really says a lot. What a tell! lol

[Barry]

Here's part 2 of Dan Smith's interview:

[Barry]

This just in privately from Dan Smith:

Barry,

Please assure your viewers that the cilantro microgreens are doing just
fine. There was spotty germination so there were bare spots. It's really
comforting to know that people were worried for my plants. How sweet!

Dan

[jesswolfe]

Being interviewed if you aren't used to it, especially on camera, is nerve wracking. You do things you wouldn't normally do because you get flustered. Not everyone is outgoing and comfortable on camera. Its easy to go out of your body under those circumstances.

I don't think that is callous to have actual feelings. Even if the feeling is fear and nervousness.

Jess

For the first 6 1/2 minutes the mug is behind the plants, then he presumably takes a drink and puts it down on the seedlings in the middle of the tray. I seriously doubt that there is a bare spot right there. Even so, any gardener would not press down on bare sprouting tray soil. They know that those tiny roots are struggling too hard.
I don't know know anything about this guy, but that looks pretty callous from this angle. I would not let him near my precious seedlings because I am a true gardener and a true gardener feels that their new sprouts are sacrosanct.

[Praksys]

The mug has nothing to do with the story. It is not sitting atop any seedlings and is totally irrelevant. You should be ashamed of yourself for attempting to demean a genuine farmer. I don't believe you have an open mind at all. You owe Dan Smith an apology for your outrageous characterization. Not very impressive for Gaia.

Thank you for posting this video, Barry. With kindness and respect to everyone, I offer the following:
For me action speaks louder than words. The video was filmed with Dan sitting in a greenhouse. In the beginning of the video, Dan tells us of his fondness and long experience with gardening and farming. As I was listening carefully with an open mind to what was being said, I couldn't ignore the coffee mug to the right (Dan's left). The mug is sitting on top of young plants.
Having worked/volunteered on farms/in greenhouses--I have NEVER seen a farmer (or gardener) put a mug down on precious young greenhouse plants!
And if the farmer observed that a mug had been left there by someone else (I have seen that happen!)---the farmer would instantly take the mug off and (depending on farmer) the person who left it there would be gently educated or sharply scolded, to never do such a thing again! Having noticed this huge inconsistency (re: his words about his long experience with gardening and farming, etc...) gives me huge cause to doubt how much of a farmer(or gardener) Dan truly is... and consequently doubt the honesty of his other words. I could perhaps attribute the mug-on-plants issue as nervousness about being filmed, to a non-experienced or novice gardener, but that is not how he represents himself... I will leave it to others to comment on his words.

[Barry]

... You should be ashamed of yourself for attempting to demean a genuine farmer. I don't believe you have an open mind at all. You owe Dan Smith an apology for your outrageous characterization. Not very impressive for Gaia.

Another normally sane (except when he is "mad" ) user goes berserk when it comes to commenting on this issue...

[applefan]

The arguement that there are too many crafters is just bogus. Paula works to keep the market full, and there are times in the season where there is more, or less, produce that is ripe. during those times she allows more crafters in. when there is more food she makes space for food and less for crafters. Managing the market is a JOB that she has been doing well for many years. Keeping a balance requires careful planning and negotiating among many competing interests, and egos. No fair to criticize for too many crafters before the height of the season. Go in in the summer and count...

...
The real question here is who does the market serve. Do they serve the community as any 501C3 should or do they serve the market manager and the farmers who currently are in the market? If certified markets serve the farming community (as they are required to by state law), then they should give preference to local farmers, ranchers and ag producers. There should be due process for applicants and vendor termination. They should not fill up with craft vendors and resellers when there are serious local farmers who are not allowed in.

Take a look at the Sebastopol Market. If you read the city's use permit as I have, you will see that no more than 20% of the market booths can be allocated to non-farmers. And within that 20%, they must all be ag product crafts like wool or leather from animals that the farmers grew. This is not what you find so why are local farmers routinely told they cannot be in the market?

Having said that, we are not opposed to crafters or ag producers, but farmers markets should first and foremost be for farmers. If there are local farmers who cannot get thier eggs, meat, produce and fruit to customers because they can't get into a market, we all are penalized.

Dan

[rossmen]

i don't buy it. it sure looks like he set that cup right on top of a thick part of the seedling tray. i've met dan and he is a sharp guy who has made a lot of money and pissed a lot of people off trying to do good things, with his brain, i don't think he has got his hands dirty in a long time.

i am still trying to figure out this market mess. paula has put out some very precise and clear responses to specific questions about market decisions she has made in answer to dan and bloomfield bees. as far as playing rope a dope with county parks to keep venue cost low for farmers markets, good for her! but then her accounting as reported by the pd just didn't add up...

This just in privately from Dan Smith:

Barry,
Please assure your viewers that the cilantro microgreens are doing just
fine. There was spotty germination so there were bare spots. It's really
comforting to know that people were worried for my plants. How sweet!

Dan

[Peace Voyager]

This Farmer's Market mess makes me sad.

I have found things I really like about Dan; and things I really don't. I was giving him a chance to clear some things up; but don't have much hope. (Are you listening Dan? I'm very fair; and very motivated to work through these things. Please contact me.)

Let's get to something a bit bigger than a cup on seedlings. After all that's happened on John Jenkel's property and OUR hwy. 116 scenic corridor; why do you think Dan is willing to serve the "chainsaw wine" of Paul Hobbs.

I suggest we all boycott any place that wants to profit from "chainsaw wine".

http://www.gualalariver.org/vineyard...nsaw-wine.html

This will also be sad, because I love the French Garden; and all the good things Dan has done for our progressive community, such as providing space there for SC Progressive Democrats' & Transition Sebastopol meetings/events, and bringing Daniel Ellsberg in for a talk.

I'm hoping he will understand why this is so important, and make this change.

I'm hoping you will let all chainsaw wine profiteers know why you will not be giving them your business until they do. Look what happened to Rush Limbaugh when folks used the power of their voice and purchasing habits.

Also, the Bohemian did stop featuring Hobbs after some of us made some noise; then they let James Knight have ink for promoting Artesa; in the same column where he noted how controversial their west county project is.

With so many very good wineries, practicing very good watershed stewardship; there is no excuse for this. Please let the Editor and Publisher know. It's bad enough to get this stuff from the big daily paper, no one needs it from the alt. press. Again!

Much thanks,

Colleen Fernald

www.campaignforpeace.org
www.songsforaceasefire.org

i don't buy it. it sure looks like he set that cup right on top of a thick part of the seedling tray. i've met dan and he is a sharp guy who has made a lot of money and pissed a lot of people off trying to do good things, with his brain, i don't think he has got his hands dirty in a long time.

i am still trying to figure out this market mess. paula has put out some very precise and clear responses to specific questions about market decisions she has made in answer to dan and bloomfield bees. as far as playing rope a dope with county parks to keep venue cost low for farmers markets, good for her! but then her accounting as reported by the pd just didn't add up...

[wildflower]

I now boycot the Seb Farm Mkt due to my negative experience as a vendor dealing with the management of the market. I would like to see a new management team as I think Paula has used her position to further her own agendas and relationships for years. There is not much democratic, fair or unbiased about the choice of vendors and it truly is a dictatorship with a board that will ONLY back Paula's decisions.

I tried to figure this out for years and it was causing me so much stress that I had to let it go. I did really well at the market. I had locally made, well priced, original farm mkt themed wearable art that I sold. Customers LOVED my products, but I could almost never get a booth. It was very puzzling to figure out how to do this ethically. After 7 years, I gave up and now am boycotting the mkt. It's a shame, because not only was I an asset to the mkt, and have a product desired by customers but it was my only income. It was SOOOOO frustrating!

[ElizabethM]

I had a similar experience as Wildflower with the Seb. market managment. I was also very frustrated and stressed by the whole notion of dealing with Paula that I just let it go. There was something about her demeanor, and the energy of my first several attempts to connect to vend my unique, handmade ,local, natural material, Jewelry that I couldnt bring myself to call or approach her...Sad for me, sad for the friends strangers who have loved and bought my jewelry line for years and years: at the Harmony festival, The Goddess Crafts Fair,The Harbin Market, smaller private showings over the last 18 years.
Funny thing is that the African Gentleman with the baskets and then the Shea Butter lady, and of course Paulas friends, were given permanent booth spaces....right after I had been told there were very few, spaces for an entire season, Several seasons in a row.
I say CHANGE IS GOOD. I say UPGRADE. I say STAND UP. I say SPEAK UP.

I now boycot the Seb Farm Mkt due to my negative experience as a vendor dealing with the management of the market. I would like to see a new management team as I think Paula has used her position to further her own agendas and relationships for years. There is not much democratic, fair or unbiased about the choice of vendors and it truly is a dictatorship with a board that will ONLY back Paula's decisions.

I tried to figure this out for years and it was causing me so much stress that I had to let it go. I did really well at the market. I had locally made, well priced, original farm mkt themed wearable art that I sold. Customers LOVED my products, but I could almost never get a booth. It was very puzzling to figure out how to do this ethically. After 7 years, I gave up and now am boycotting the mkt. It's a shame, because not only was I an asset to the mkt, and have a product desired by customers but it was my only income. It was SOOOOO frustrating!

[Orm Embar]

While reading through this thread, I kept thinking: Wow! We are so lucky to live in an area where small farms abound . . . AND the community wants to get their food directly from those farmers. Not only that, the community wants to purchase handcrafted items made by local artisans.

Maybe the issues at hand have to do with too many vendors vying for too few market spaces? There will always be conflict when we live in community. There are many ways to deal with conflict. This current situation may have to do with individuals and the way they interact . . . or it may simply be the result of having too little space for too many vendors. I love a problem that occurs because of abundance. I'm sure we can find a way through this.

Anyone from Occupy or Transition ready to help us embrace this as a community? How do we turn this controversy into an opportunity to strengthen our connection to local food and handcrafted resources?

[oliviathunderkitty]

What a refreshing and insightful take on current market struggles. You're right on, in so many ways. When the Sebastopol farmers market moves (possibly later this year), this problem should solve itself.

While reading through this thread, I kept thinking: Wow! We are so lucky to live in an area where small farms abound . . . AND the community wants to get their food directly from those farmers. Not only that, the community wants to purchase handcrafted items made by local artisans.

Maybe the issues at hand have to do with too many vendors vying for too few market spaces? There will always be conflict when we live in community. There are many ways to deal with conflict. This current situation may have to do with individuals and the way they interact . . . or it may simply be the result of having too little space for too many vendors. I love a problem that occurs because of abundance. I'm sure we can find a way through this.

Anyone from Occupy or Transition ready to help us embrace this as a community? How do we turn this controversy into an opportunity to strengthen our connection to local food and handcrafted resources?

[Barry]

I want to point out that the comments below are from craft vendors rather than farmers. That's ironic since one of the new group's (REFM) complaints (see quote from Dan below) was that Paula let in too many non-farmers.

... They should not fill up with craft vendors and resellers when there are serious local farmers who are not allowed in.

Take a look at the Sebastopol Market. If you read the city's use permit as I have, you will see that no more than 20% of the market booths can be allocated to non-farmers. And within that 20%, they must all be ag product crafts like wool or leather from animals that the farmers grew. This is not what you find so why are local farmers routinely told they cannot be in the market?

Having said that, we are not opposed to crafters or ag producers, but farmers markets should first and foremost be for farmers. If there are local farmers who cannot get thier eggs, meat, produce and fruit to customers because they can't get into a market, we all are penalized.

Dan

I now boycot the Seb Farm Mkt due to my negative experience as a vendor dealing with the management of the market. I would like to see a new management team as I think Paula has used her position to further her own agendas and relationships for years. There is not much democratic, fair or unbiased about the choice of vendors and it truly is a dictatorship with a board that will ONLY back Paula's decisions.

I tried to figure this out for years and it was causing me so much stress that I had to let it go. I did really well at the market. I had locally made, well priced, original farm mkt themed wearable art that I sold. Customers LOVED my products, but I could almost never get a booth. It was very puzzling to figure out how to do this ethically. After 7 years, I gave up and now am boycotting the mkt. It's a shame, because not only was I an asset to the mkt, and have a product desired by customers but it was my only income. It was SOOOOO frustrating!

I had a similar experience as Wildflower with the Seb. market managment. I was also very frustrated and stressed by the whole notion of dealing with Paula that I just let it go. There was something about her demeanor, and the energy of my first several attempts to connect to vend my unique, handmade ,local, natural material, Jewelry that I couldnt bring myself to call or approach her...Sad for me, sad for the friends strangers who have loved and bought my jewelry line for years and years: at the Harmony festival, The Goddess Crafts Fair,The Harbin Market, smaller private showings over the last 18 years.
Funny thing is that the African Gentleman with the baskets and then the Shea Butter lady, and of course Paulas friends, were given permanent booth spaces....right after I had been told there were very few, spaces for an entire season, Several seasons in a row.
I say CHANGE IS GOOD. I say UPGRADE. I say STAND UP. I say SPEAK UP.

[neil]

As a farmer and member of a farming family, I have sold farm produce on no less than 25 different farmers markets in four states spanning several decades. I've dealt with the various market managers, other vendors, customers, and regulators. I sold on the Sebastopol market as "EasySweet Farm" for 5 years, 2001-2005, serving two years on the board and one year as board president.

I don't know the specifics of the current controversy, and so I cannot comment on that. However, I can say a few things about farmers markets, and their management.

First of all, in general, there is no shortage of conflicting interests involved. I'm not saying this to judge anyone, it's just a fact. Farmers competing with other farmers, real farmers competing with pretend farmers (re-sellers), quality producers getting undercut by low-bar producers, small farmers competing with larger better-subsidized growers, farmers selling field-run or better getting undercut by farmers selling seconds-masquerading-as-field-run, crafters competing with other crafters, farmers competing with crafters, farmers competing with other local food sellers--you get the idea. On top of all of that, every seller wants to be in one of the better-trafficked spaces--their livelihood may depend on it--yet there are only so many spaces available and only some of those are "good spaces." And even if there are plenty of available spaces, it doesn't work to just add more and more vendors. There are issues of seniority, and this is closely related to market stability and having year-to-year continuity of market character. I have never seen a farmers market without most or all of these dynamics going on.

So, it has to be one of the more thankless of jobs to be a market manager. Someone is always mad at you, regardless of how well you do the job. It is not possible to satisfy everyone. Someone will always feel you are treating them unfairly, even if you are being as fair as you can be, given everything.

I've worked with a lot of different market managers. Some do a good job balancing the various vendor interests and product representation, giving due preference to actual farmers, keeping the vendor base and the customer base in some rough balance, and making market a mostly enjoyable experience for (almost) everyone. Some managers do a crappy job. For the time I was on the Sebastopol market, I found Paula to be one of the better managers I have known. Definitely. That doesn't mean I thought every single thing she did was right, but all in all I found her to be a fair and effective manager, especially given the many interests involved.

Is it possible that someone might do a better job than Paula. Sure, but from my experience I would say that that is not likely. What is much more likely to happen is that any new market manager would come in with a limited, half-baked idea of "what needs to be changed," and in making those changes do a lot more harm than good.

I don't have any ponies in this race. I'm not arguing for a specific outcome. I'm just saying that compared to many other farmers markets I have known, Sebastopol market has been a place where vendors get along well and customers delight in who and what they find there, year after year after year. That may be worth keeping in mind.
Neil

[applefan]

Neil...this is so well written and dispassionate. I hope you will submit it to the Press Democrat. there are so many lies and misconceptions on the "other" side. We and the public need to know more about what the market manager job entails. Paula has done a great job of balancing conflicting interests while supporting small farmers who are trying to make a living .

As a farmer and member of a farming family, I have sold farm produce on no less than 25 different farmers markets in four states spanning several decades. I've dealt with the various market managers, other vendors, customers, and regulators. I sold on the Sebastopol market as "EasySweet Farm" for 5 years, 2001-2005, serving two years on the board and one year as board president.

I don't know the specifics of the current controversy, and so I cannot comment on that. However, I can say a few things about farmers markets, and their management.

First of all, in general, there is no shortage of conflicting interests involved. I'm not saying this to judge anyone, it's just a fact. Farmers competing with other farmers, real farmers competing with pretend farmers (re-sellers), quality producers getting undercut by low-bar producers, small farmers competing with larger better-subsidized growers, farmers selling field-run or better getting undercut by farmers selling seconds-masquerading-as-field-run, crafters competing with other crafters, farmers competing with crafters, farmers competing with other local food sellers--you get the idea. On top of all of that, every seller wants to be in one of the better-trafficked spaces--their livelihood may depend on it--yet there are only so many spaces available and only some of those are "good spaces." And even if there are plenty of available spaces, it doesn't work to just add more and more vendors. There are issues of seniority, and this is closely related to market stability and having year-to-year continuity of market character. I have never seen a farmers market without most or all of these dynamics going on.

So, it has to be one of the more thankless of jobs to be a market manager. Someone is always mad at you, regardless of how well you do the job. It is not possible to satisfy everyone. Someone will always feel you are treating them unfairly, even if you are being as fair as you can be, given everything.

I've worked with a lot of different market managers. Some do a good job balancing the various vendor interests and product representation, giving due preference to actual farmers, keeping the vendor base and the customer base in some rough balance, and making market a mostly enjoyable experience for (almost) everyone. Some managers do a crappy job. For the time I was on the Sebastopol market, I found Paula to be one of the better managers I have known. Definitely. That doesn't mean I thought every single thing she did was right, but all in all I found her to be a fair and effective manager, especially given the many interests involved.

Is it possible that someone might do a better job than Paula. Sure, but from my experience I would say that that is not likely. What is much more likely to happen is that any new market manager would come in with a limited, half-baked idea of "what needs to be changed," and in making those changes do a lot more harm than good.

I don't have any ponies in this race. I'm not arguing for a specific outcome. I'm just saying that compared to many other farmers markets I have known, Sebastopol market has been a place where vendors get along well and customers delight in who and what they find there, year after year after year. That may be worth keeping in mind.
Neil

[podfish]

Neil...this is so well written and dispassionate..... there are so many lies and misconceptions on the "other" side. .

shoulda stopped with the first phrase.
If you read Neil's post without focusing on 'is he on my side or on the side of those other evil bastards' you might have appreciated how well written and dispassionate it really is.
I have fewer ponies than he does, but if I had any I'd keep them away from this market "debate". From the sidelines it sure reads like a characature of a high-school after-school club power struggle. Very few posters can refrain from slinging darts at someone. My god, crushing poor seedlings as a hidden indicator of character? Gave me visions of Austin Powers' nemesis Dr. Evil petting his cat, then putting it into the greenhouse trays to use as a catbox.

[Barry]

Great post, Neil! I agree wholeheartedly! I don't have any ponies in this race either, or rather, I have good connections to both sides.

My experience with running this site, admittedly as a "dictator", is that while there are guidelines, most cases are not clear cut, and yet a decision needs to be made. And when the decision goes against what the petitioner wants, charges of unfairness fly quickly.

The REFB is lead buy at least 2 vendors who didn't get what they wanted. Some vendors did not get what they wanted from Paula. I can't say whether that it was fair or not. But I can say that difficult decisions do need to get made to uphold various standards and contraints.

In Dan Smith's video interview he talked about upholding/enforcing standards, giving priority to farmers, selecting vendors based on a point system, etc. As Neil points out so eloquently below, there's lots of competing interests. The new management is sure to run into plenty of controversy, albeit possibly with different winners and losers. The two crafters that have posted on this thread, for instance, may once again find themselves not included.

One thing that hasn't been pointed out so far, is that from what I understand, Paula is planing on retiring this year. So if in fact she is the "problem", that will change soon enough through peaceful means.

I'd rather see the new group start a new market, on a different day and/or location, rather than wrestling control away from the present leadership.

As a farmer and member of a farming family, I have sold farm produce on no less than 25 different farmers markets in four states spanning several decades. I've dealt with the various market managers, other vendors, customers, and regulators. I sold on the Sebastopol market as "EasySweet Farm" for 5 years, 2001-2005, serving two years on the board and one year as board president.

I don't know the specifics of the current controversy, and so I cannot comment on that. However, I can say a few things about farmers markets, and their management.

First of all, in general, there is no shortage of conflicting interests involved. I'm not saying this to judge anyone, it's just a fact. Farmers competing with other farmers, real farmers competing with pretend farmers (re-sellers), quality producers getting undercut by low-bar producers, small farmers competing with larger better-subsidized growers, farmers selling field-run or better getting undercut by farmers selling seconds-masquerading-as-field-run, crafters competing with other crafters, farmers competing with crafters, farmers competing with other local food sellers--you get the idea. On top of all of that, every seller wants to be in one of the better-trafficked spaces--their livelihood may depend on it--yet there are only so many spaces available and only some of those are "good spaces." And even if there are plenty of available spaces, it doesn't work to just add more and more vendors. There are issues of seniority, and this is closely related to market stability and having year-to-year continuity of market character. I have never seen a farmers market without most or all of these dynamics going on.

So, it has to be one of the more thankless of jobs to be a market manager. Someone is always mad at you, regardless of how well you do the job. It is not possible to satisfy everyone. Someone will always feel you are treating them unfairly, even if you are being as fair as you can be, given everything.

I've worked with a lot of different market managers. Some do a good job balancing the various vendor interests and product representation, giving due preference to actual farmers, keeping the vendor base and the customer base in some rough balance, and making market a mostly enjoyable experience for (almost) everyone. Some managers do a crappy job. For the time I was on the Sebastopol market, I found Paula to be one of the better managers I have known. Definitely. That doesn't mean I thought every single thing she did was right, but all in all I found her to be a fair and effective manager, especially given the many interests involved.

Is it possible that someone might do a better job than Paula. Sure, but from my experience I would say that that is not likely. What is much more likely to happen is that any new market manager would come in with a limited, half-baked idea of "what needs to be changed," and in making those changes do a lot more harm than good.

I don't have any ponies in this race. I'm not arguing for a specific outcome. I'm just saying that compared to many other farmers markets I have known, Sebastopol market has been a place where vendors get along well and customers delight in who and what they find there, year after year after year. That may be worth keeping in mind.
Neil

[Varda]

Hello Waccoland,

Wanted to respond to the critical posts I read lately on Wacco about Paula. As some of you know, I have been a vendor in the Sebastopol market for over 10 years, and on occasion I do the Santa Rosa market (crafts), have also worked with Paula on putting together two seasonal wellness fairs with the Sebastopol market last 5 years, so I have had the opportunity to get to know Paula.

First of all, let's get something straight - without Paula, both the Sebastopol and the Santa Rosa markets would not have amounted to much! some of you might remember the Santa Rosa market before Paula came aboard, it was dumpy and boring, didn't visit it very often, as there wasn't much there worth driving for. The Sebastopol market, when I got into it over 10 years ago was small and not very busy - look at these two markets today - they are busy, exciting, colorful, with varied and quality vendors with fresh, local produce, fresh baked food, ethnic delicacies, music, artisans, demos, events and more. They have become two of the best markets in this area. All because of the genius of Paula! So, let's first give credit where it is due before we lash out with criticism, as this community has benefited greatly from Paula's hard work and these two great markets!

In my personal experience with Paula, I found her to be a fair, caring, generous and gracious woman and market manager. She cares about people, about the environment, about causes and about social justice. And yes, she has her strong opinions and convictions. Is she perfect? no, and neither is any of us! were you not able to get into the market the way you wanted? perhaps there were already too many crafters doing similar items? might be other reasons you were not aware of, or perhaps Paula didn't think your product was right for the market. Did you ask her? and where is some personal accountability and objective narrative in any of these critical posts??? I did not notice one critic take responsibility for anything, it was always Paula's fault if the market experience did not go as expected.

so, to sum it up, I would like to thank Paula for her great work with these two markets for all of us, and am asking you to consider it before casting stones at her! and if your market experience was disappointing, do examine yourself, was there anything you could have done differently? any other insights?

Varda

[Varda]

The following is from Scott Wilson who sells pottery at the Santa Rosa and Sebastopol markets:

SR is not the only market Redwood Empire is trying to take over. They went to the City of Rohnert Park and tried to get that market. They spoke to Barney and tried to get Sebastpol....So the word "empire" is pretty relevant.

I don't care for imperialism. What the Roman Empire, the British Empire, and the Soviet Empire had in common, among other things, is that they all did more harm than good. They used coercion and brute force to reach their goals. They used their superior strength to sweep away anyone whom they perceived as an obstacle. They acquired their assets without negotiation, and proved to the world that they were dangerous adversaries. Passive communities with resources had a great deal to fear from all three of these empires.

The Redwood Empire, just out of the gate, has proven itself a powerful adversary. The Santa Rosa Original Farmers' Market has spent decades building itself from scratch to become a precious resource to producers and consumers. The hard work and creativity of thousands of dedicated individuals is evident throughout the market. The Redwood Empire has been very effective at disrupting and undermining the Santa Rosa Original Farmers' Market, and then claiming the venue as its' own. Only time will tell how far their glorious string of victories will extend. I can only hope that in our new location, the Santa Rosa Original Farmers' Market will at last be able to keep a safe distance from the REFM.

Scott Wilson

[Sabrina]

I haven't had a chance to follow everything in this thread, but where is the new SR location going to be? I'd heard rumor of under the freeway near railroad square; but just upon trying to scroll back I didn't find it right off (where there's a new location).

[lovejoy]

I too appreciate the posts that are supportive of Paula - I was a vendor in the early days - for many years I sold cut flowers. She was always fair and square - and fun, too. She took the manager position when it paid practically nothing, and really hung in there with the challenges of dealing with vendors, schedules, weather and customers. She has strong ties in the community, and really kept a "family" feeling alive in the market. I'm sad that she is under attack, instead of receiving the genuine appreciate she deserves for her consistent hard work over the years. She has a big heart, and the success of the Sebastopol market is in large part due to her diligence. Thank you, Paula for keeping the market together and helping it grow and flourish! And I hope that whoever takes over does so with grace and kindness and a big dose of honest humility. I'm also very grateful to Varda and others for speaking out on Paula's behalf. --Leana Sims Lovejoy

Hello Waccoland,

Wanted to respond to the critical posts I read lately on Wacco about Paula. As some of you know, I have been a vendor in the Sebastopol market for over 10 years, and on occasion I do the Santa Rosa market (crafts), have also worked with Paula on putting together two seasonal wellness fairs with the Sebastopol market last 5 years, so I have had the opportunity to get to know Paula.

First of all, let's get something straight - without Paula, both the Sebastopol and the Santa Rosa markets would not have amounted to much! some of you might remember the Santa Rosa market before Paula came aboard, it was dumpy and boring, didn't visit it very often, as there wasn't much there worth driving for. The Sebastopol market, when I got into it over 10 years ago was small and not very busy - look at these two markets today - they are busy, exciting, colorful, with varied and quality vendors with fresh, local produce, fresh baked food, ethnic delicacies, music, artisans, demos, events and more. They have become two of the best markets in this area. All because of the genius of Paula! So, let's first give credit where it is due before we lash out with criticism, as this community has benefited greatly from Paula's hard work and these two great markets!

In my personal experience with Paula, I found her to be a fair, caring, generous and gracious woman and market manager. She cares about people, about the environment, about causes and about social justice. And yes, she has her strong opinions and convictions. Is she perfect? no, and neither is any of us! were you not able to get into the market the way you wanted? perhaps there were already too many crafters doing similar items? might be other reasons you were not aware of, or perhaps Paula didn't think your product was right for the market. Did you ask her? and where is some personal accountability and objective narrative in any of these critical posts??? I did not notice one critic take responsibility for anything, it was always Paula's fault if the market experience did not go as expected.

so, to sum it up, I would like to thank Paula for her great work with these two markets for all of us, and am asking you to consider it before casting stones at her! and if your market experience was disappointing, do examine yourself, was there anything you could have done differently? any other insights?

Varda

[Peace Voyager]

Never wanted to be in the position to "choose sides". Also, due to my campaign, and some personal issues connected to Board members; my own gudiance told me to stay out of it. BUT...we all have a pony in this race if want to have the best Farmer's Market possible for all towns.

This thread has helped us examine what fair is. As I spoke with folks from both sides; I see pros and cons to each group.

What was not fair was; not letting the original market have time for their Board to accept, or reject the rate hike. This market had existing, long term advertising, and marketing contracts.

The County has been getting grants and funding for all kinds of Health Action related programs; keeping the booth cost low, and getting new vendors is such a no brainer it's silly!

Our perception of a "Brand", can have a lot of value; or be the reason for staying away. A Brand's value, is a reflection of our values.

Do the social and environmental values of a company or group, align with mine? What does that say about me if I continue to help a business, or elected official succeed, or profit; if their agenda, product, or service goes against our common good?

It's sad we have to even ask this question of our Farmer's Markets. In this case it's both a wonderful and rotten problem. How rich is our bounty, that we have too many farmers for our regular market? How sad it is that our decades old Brand is being forced to split, rather than grow together in Santa Rosa.

If it was Paula, whom the majority of the market vendors, or want-to be vendors, or market customers had a problem with; the Board of Directors always has the means to correct that.

If it's the Board that the majority of the inside/outside vendors, and customers have a problem with; then some capacity building, changes in members, or all new Board is called for. I think that shake up happen this last year; I don't know if anyone "won". These things always need time to develop.

I watched how the County of Sonoma handled this issue. I have a great more to say about that. This is a very important question for the Superviors' race. How would they have dealt with it, should be one of the questions for the debates & forums.

If Dan had taken the time to meet with me, any one of the dozen times I'd ask him; I could have given him better options than bulldozing his way in on this. Like being a main partner with the Spiral Foods Collective instead.

The real bottom line here, I hope you will speak to is...the County, and all the cities here; will never recover the funds needed, to sustain a budget big enough to cover our lost quality of life; until they send Congress, and the President a mandate: Fund free Vet's Building parking lot space for Farmer's Markets; NOT bombs, and strike-first drones for unconstitutional "wars" of choice! NOW!

Then let's take 1/2 the current optional war budget, spend much of that on healing our vets & our environment. Bring the entire National Guard home now. Supporting our troops looks like - retraining and ensuring them good paying jobs in: Clean/Green Tech, organic farming, parkland service, watershed recovery, Greener municipal infrastructure development and repair. The small businesses, and local governments who hire them should get a bonus or tax breaks; not the mega-profit, dirty energy companies.

In fact the Veterans should get free market stalls; and have help with community farms, as part of a mutual benefits project, for all Farmers' Markets to partner with a Veterans health & economic recovery program.

Having the arts involved too, as we are privileged to have in Sebastopol, with Artists, Crafters and Musicians and Dancers, are other grant worthy bonus for markets. That is, when we get appropriate appropriations from our government.

This is a recipe for happiness. Isn't that what you feel; when you stroll the rows and rows of good products, from good people; on a lovely day, with the friends you know, and new ones to meet?

Has a lesson been learned here we can use? The Original Farmer's Market contract was terminated, before it was fully vetted by all affected by it. Wacco offers us a great forum to vet the pros and cons of things, before the ink has a chance to dry on contracts, bills, ordinances, etc; if we are paying attention.

The American people cannot wait for government to fix itself; or fall apart.

This spring, let's renew our contract with the Constitution. Let's get our communities ready for anything; by trying to get along much better. Catalog, and network our resources; build our life rafts together.

If we face a disaster; we may need both Dan and Paula working full strength to feed us all; 'cause the County's emergency planning is woefully inadequate, (because they never take action on de-funding wars of choice). Their emergency vehicles won't be likely to get here to help us; what with all the potholes and failed roads, infrastructure and all.

Please make these action items for your Supervisors, representatives, and all candidates.

Soon my website will have some good tools for making social engineering work FOR us. Please send your support.



Your Patriot for Peaceful Farmer's Markets in every town,

Colleen Fernald

California's Constitutional Candidate
For PEACE & Thriving Watersheds Everywhere!

www.campaignforpeace.org
www.songsforaceasefire.org

Great post, Neil! I agree wholeheartedly! I don't have any ponies in this race either, or rather, I have good connections to both sides.



My experience with running this site, admittedly as a "dictator", is that while there are guidelines, most cases are not clear cut, and yet a decision needs to be made. And when the decision goes against what the petitioner wants, charges of unfairness fly quickly.

The REFB is lead buy at least 2 vendors who didn't get what they wanted. Some vendors did not get what they wanted from Paula. I can't say whether that it was fair or not. But I can say that difficult decisions do need to get made to uphold various standards and contraints.

In Dan Smith's video interview he talked about upholding/enforcing standards, giving priority to farmers, selecting vendors based on a point system, etc. As Neil points out so eloquently below, there's lots of competing interests. The new management is sure to run into plenty of controversy, albeit possibly with different winners and losers. The two crafters that have posted on this thread, for instance, may once again find themselves not included.

One thing that hasn't been pointed out so far, is that from what I understand, Paula is planing on retiring this year. So if in fact she is the "problem", that will change soon enough through peaceful means.

I'd rather see the new group start a new market, on a different day and/or location, rather than wrestling control away from the present leadership.

[dancingstar]

I want to chime in also regarding my experience with Paula. A big heart indeed she has. She supported the passion of my son when he was about 10 years old and a budding magician. She welcomed him into the market to set up a table to perform tricks for tips. At no cost! He made many contacts. People still remember him from the market. He now (at 17) has a thriving business performing professionally. My son and I are both so appreciative of Paula's warm support. Thank you Paula!

Judy

I too appreciate the posts that are supportive of Paula - I was a vendor in the early days - for many years I sold cut flowers. She was always fair and square - and fun, too. She took the manager position when it paid practically nothing, and really hung in there with the challenges of dealing with vendors, schedules, weather and customers. She has strong ties in the community, and really kept a "family" feeling alive in the market. I'm sad that she is under attack, instead of receiving the genuine appreciate she deserves for her consistent hard work over the years. She has a big heart, and the success of the Sebastopol market is in large part due to her diligence. Thank you, Paula for keeping the market together and helping it grow and flourish! And I hope that whoever takes over does so with grace and kindness and a big dose of honest humility. I'm also very grateful to Varda and others for speaking out on Paula's behalf. --Leana Sims Lovejoy