Page 8 - Cuisione fo Arizona - Volume 8

FARMERS MARKET
Community Exchange by Kathleen Porter
As a way to support small-scale and start-up growers, a new collective market organization was formed in the fall of 2009 as a program of Arizona Homegrown Solutions. Today, the group is known as Community Exchange (CE). As farmers’ markets have expanded their numbers in the valley, there has also been an increase in backyard, community and school gardeners.
These avid gardeners often reach a yield that surpasses their individual need. At the same time Market Man- agers would often be approached by individuals arriving unannounced at the market with a few handfuls of greens or an armful of squash. With no infrastructure in place to serve such small-scale growers many of these in- dividuals were turned away.
To address this issue, Cindy Gen- try (then director of the Phoenix Public Market) approached Chip Sat- terland, a community volunteer with Arizona Homegrown Solutions and a co-founder of the Valley Permaculture Alliance to help organize a coopera- tive market table, where growers who didn’t have enough produce for a reg- ular market booth, or those who had only occasional surplus could bring their produce. Chip sought out inter- ested growers and the result is a thriv- ing Community Exchange Table. The Community Exchange can be found in 8 markets throughout the valley each week. More than 50 growers partici- pate and, depending on the market,
artists and crafters as well as artisan bakers bring their wares.
The creation of this new group took much hard work and ingenu- ity. Researching models in Tucson and around the country, the initial growers themselves worked with Chip to create by-laws and an organizational struc- ture that would re ect their values of community, cooperation, and regen- eration. The result is a unique market booth that re ects the “community” involvement behind its founding. To
this day, the group is putting com- munity rst!
Cuisine of ARIZONA
The Premier Culinary Guide to the Grand Canyon State
www.cuisineofarizona.com 7
Inside:
Community Exchange. . . . . . . . . . . . 7
On the Vine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 minute Market Chef. . . . . ......
How an Obscure Sun ower
Saved the World . . . . . . . . . ......
UNpacking a Farmers Market . . . . What is the Co-OpExtension . . . . .
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Farmers Market Magazine