Good week our dear organic vegetable lovers J
This coming Friday we will host a farmers and producers market in our organic shop and juice bar. How exciting!!
This is truly a dream come true!
A farmers market is exactly how I would like the world to work! And for numerous reasons that are all aspects of life.
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Fair local economy – A farmers' market allows people, neighbors, friends, acquaintances to engage in what they love / want / know (this is how it should be in the perfect world inside my head) and make a decent living from their work. They will be the ones that will determine the wage / price for their labor and products. In our country, most of the farmers are paid according to the price that the buyer has determined. Have you heard of the farmers protest that their price was determined for them and is often at a loss?
I remember that when I began to market my produce, I was very happy that a certain chain of organic stores agreed to buy my sprouts. After all the questions regarding whether I can make a living from such an agricultural enterprise, I thought to myself that if I got in there, I would succeed. And then I realized that the price they agreed to pay did not even cover my expenses and, worse, they also forced me to take back what they did not sell. I realized that in order to survive, I would have to sell my produce directly to the final consumer. (fortunately I have you guys J, the garden family, our dear organic vegetable lovers, our huge backbone ♥.)
Farmers / Manufacturers / Artists markets are an excellent platform to expand this healthy local commerce for the benefit of all of us.
Supporting local businesses creates local jobs that the local community can control. We know if the local farmer pollutes the land. We know if the local manufacturer pollutes, produces bad smells, or leaves sewage, leakage, or plastic debris. We know if the local business employs locals and whether they are properly paid or exploited, or if they are children.
The consumer who buys from people and not from large companies (which sometimes we do not even know by whom they are owned or what continent they are in or whether they behave responsibly) can decide who he wants to support, to whom he wants to give his money. In the food business it is a lot of money. According to the Bureau of Statistics, food represents 16-20% of the expenses of an average family.
The consumer can decide to pass his money to a manufacturer or farmer who produces produce that is healthy for the body, which he believes in; who respects his employees and treats them fairly; who respects the environment and manages himself responsibly; who uses organic, local, quality ingredients.
All of the profit of local commerce benefits all of us and it is quite simple – the consumer, according to his buying decisions, will receive more varied and quality products. The more he purchases the more he encourages these products.
The direct purchase of goods allows reasonable prices because the product goes through fewer hands. Moreover, it helps maintain the products freshness and quality by shortening the delivery time.
And there's another gain here – our money, for which we work so hard, will remain here in our community, in the “neighborhood”.
An example – My children learned guitar with Yonatan Gelfand – a neighbor, musician and excellent teacher. Guess who he bought vegetables from? Right, from me. It's a kind of egg and chicken cycle that never ends J. I profited money from him because he was a client of mine, therefor I could hire his excellent services. Because I paid him for his services, he had money to buy organic vegetables from me… and on and on in a charming circle …
I gained a good teacher for my children and also a customer J. He gained fresh organic produce and students J
The money remains here and does not pass to a company which we do not know to whom it belongs and whether it is conducted responsibly towards the people, the environment and the community.
We consumers benefit from the fact that we behave responsibly with our money and we should remember that every day in the choices we make.
Have you seen the "story of things", which explains modern commerce? You will be surprised. It's a bit old now and I suspect that the system has “improved”, which means that it is worse for us….
So let's gather at our farmers market and encourage all of this local businessJ. From one stand you can get an interesting recipe, from another a serving idea, from another a tip for work and from someone else a delicious taste… Let's get closer to the source of abundance and encourage it and create more good connections and collaborations that are good for the body, the soul, the earth, and the community…. It is real, that's how good things happen.
So what will be in our farmers market?
Organic fruits and vegetables of course. And wow! So much more!
Organic wine and beer, different kinds of organic breads, various creations from recycled materials, handcrafted carpentry pieces, natural deodorants, custom-made leather sandals, natural candles, healthy cakes and cookies, very special Jahnun from spelt flour, kube, fresh and special organic juices that we squeeze on the spot, soy cheeses, delicious healthy spreads, tea from medicinal herbs, honey from Nataf, live music in the background and much more…
The list of participants will be on Facebook
Let's start the weekend with cooperation, hope and joy.
We are waiting for you on Friday between 10:00am to 3:00pm.Please save the date and prepare the baskets! Please come. There is much work to be done. I hope we meet soon.
Have a successful week!!
To Health (in the micro and the macro)
Yours,
Maggie and the garden team
Organic vegetable baskets (draft only):
eggplant!
Leeks
cabbage
Carrots
Onions
lettuce
coriander
Cucumbers
Celery root
Tomatoes
Potatoes
In the large organic vegetable baskets, also:
parsley
Zucchinis
corn
Organic fruit baskets:
Bananas
Melon
In the larger organic fruit baskets, also:
Papaya
And cherries
