Page 40 - Sonoma County Gazette - May 2019

Help a tourist, be a tourist. This refrain, or others similar to
it have been cycling through my mind recently. As we leave the rainy winter behind tourists start to flock to our lovely home area and us locals emerge from our cocoons and fly out on adventures near and far.
the fabric of our community and no one I know in our neighborhood could imagine our lives without it.
My Mom rents out my old bedroom through Air BnB and as soon as the
sun comes out her weekend calendar starts to fill up with guests. I really get a kick out of having a new batch of people regularly coming through who have chosen for whatever reason to make the trek out to West County. They are excited to see the house and property and to explore the surrounding environs. It is fun for me to provide recommendations of places to see, restaurants and shops to go to, and general advice and background info to this wonderful area I get to call home. It also helps to be reminded as a local what is out there that might be a different place to go to or way to get there.
Chris Martin from Howards Station Café joined the Sonoma County Certified Organic Farmers Association and we formed a market management entity for Occidental under that non-profit umbrella. Five of us formed an interim board and have been busy meeting weekly, (and it seems like online hourly) to basically start a new business, get all the necessary permits, and interview candidates for market manager.
Last weekend we had a couple of friends here to celebrate a 40th birthday. They brought bikes and wanted to ride to the coast but were a bit intimidated by the hills getting there or back. I helped them formulate a plan that involved driving down to Freestone, leaving their car there and biking from that point. They got a little morning energy boost at WildFlour, rode all the way out the road at Doran Beach and had lunch at the Birds Cafe in Bodega Bay. They got a nice ride with only minimal hills involved, patronized numerous businesses along the way and had an excellent adventure. I was able to help a tourist, and also reminded myself that I haven’t been on my road bike in too long and that route or some variation thereof sounds like a wonderful way to spend a beautiful day. Not too hard, lots of spectacular scenery and good food on both ends – count me in!
There were a handful of issues with the market that needed to be
addressed, including the use of restrooms in local businesses, parking, waste management, and some safety concerns. The board is working now with ALL of the local businesses, as well as County of Sonoma officials, to rectify each
of these issues. We have come up with simple solutions for the short term and have laid out more elaborate long-term plans. We believe in the market not just to support farmers and local community health, but we believe we can use
the market as a vehicle to improve the cohesion, safety, economic success, and beauty of Occidental.
In a rather large piece of good news for Occidental no matter where you reside, it appears that the Farmer’s Market is going to happen this year after all! I kinda had a feeling it wouldn’t be allowed to just fade away. I know that the name is changing, a volunteer board has been formed to steer the ship and there will be some changes but it seems that the general details of timing, location and awesomeness will stay the same.
Last Tuesday night we hosted a meeting of previous and prospective vendors at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center to provide information about the progress being made to reopen the market and explore the ways in which we can work with the vendors to addressed some of the issues that have been of concern. This was the first time this group has ever met and it was inspiring to hear the ways that the previous incarnation of the market supported these farm-based businesses. It was a rich evening filled with camaraderie, good will and plenty of energy to see the new version of the market move forward and be even better than before.
The Occidental Community Choir spring concert series is in the beginning of May, and they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. Check out their website at www.occidentalchoir.org for tickets & info.
Board members have fanned out to interview all of the business in Occidental to get their input about the market and how we might re-envision it to best serve the whole community. Nearly every business in town is participating in the survey and half of the interviews have been completed. So far, the results have shown a highly favorable impression of the market by town merchants with lots of creative ideas about how to tackle the issues that have been problematic. We are receiving $1,000 sponsorships from several to help cover the expenses of reopening the market.
The annual Harmony Ark Fundraiser takes place on May 19th from 3-7 at the CYO. This is always a fun event and I’m looking forward to checking out the CYO property for the first time. For more info or to purchase tickets go to www. harmonyark.org
This still falls far short of the money needed to reopen the market and
we are launching a fundraising drive online to allow the many folks in the community who have expressed a desire to help support the reopening of the market to contribute. A volunteer from Farm Trails has stepped forward to help design a website for the new market—we encourage you to visit it at occidentalcommunityfarmersmarket.com to get connected.
Also on May 19th is the next meeting of the Fire Safe Occidental group. The time is 3-5, location TBD. Check out their website at www.firesafeoccidental.org for details.
We met with Supervisor Hopkins on Monday, April 29 who is highly supportive of the market. We discussed the renewed market concept, and
have also been working with Public Works and the agriculture department to ensure that the market aligns and complies with county requirements and best practices. We are going forward with having the market on Friday nights and still exploring the exact location.
The Camp Meeker Fire Department Pancake Breakfast is on Sunday, May 26th from 8-12 at the firehouse. This is also always a fun event for all ages – bouncy house for the kids, mimosas for the adults, and the RAFFLE GRAND PRIZE is $1,000 of tree work and a cord of wood from Fine Tree Care. I bet just about every one of us around here could use one or both of those prizes.
On the being a tourist side of things I just last weekend hiked up to Gunsight Rock in Hood Mtn. Regional Park for the very first time. Between the views from Gunsight, the rushing water in the creeks and the wildflowers along the way it was absolutely amazing! I took advantage of the SugarHood Shuttle bus that allows you to leave your car at either Hood Mtn. Regional or Sugarloaf Ridge State Parks and ride to the other end. This allows you to do a one way hike of approximately 7.5 miles rather than a 15 mile out and back (or awkward and unknown amount of hitch-hiking). It is a great option to see two parks for the (exercise) price of one and for a $10 donation a good deal as well. The shuttle only runs on weekends and not every one (May 4th & 5th is next) so go to www.sugarloafpark.org to find out more.
Goodbye for now friends, get out there and explore, smile & say HI to those you see out & about—we’ll all be better for it.
40 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 5/19
We cannot do this without your help. In many ways, we are starting this market from scratch. There are physical items that need to be purchased, including new signs, nicer toilet facilities, and tables & chairs, to name just a few. There are also significant administrative costs associated with starting and operating the market. We have had SO MUCH outpouring of support from everyone and for that we are very grateful.
What’s Going on with the Occidental Farmer’s Market?
By Michael Stusser
The weekly Occidental farmers market held during summer has become
Our intent is to reopen the market the 1st week of June.
Many have asked what they can do to help get the market back up and running. We need funds to get this thing off the ground and it will not happen if we cannot raise enough money for this community’s farmers’ market. Please email us at occidentalcommunityfarmersmkt@gmail.com for more info about how to donate (we’ll get you our GoFundMe link as soon as its up) and/or to sign up for our monthly updates.
Another way to help out the market is to be part of the volunteer team. We are looking for folks to help assist the market manager and vendors. This will include guiding patrons to appropriate parking areas and to the market- provided restrooms. Volunteers will also be helping to monitor public safety and assist the market manager in keeping everything running smoothly.
If you are interested, please drop us an email to occidentalcommunityfarmersmkt@gmail.com.