Farmers’ market musings

Mary Kelley
Susan Sheehy came by the market a few weeks ago. When I told her
I was sorry to have missed her father’s memorial service, she took
a button from her purse and handed it to me. The button had two
images of her late father: one of Robert Young as a boy next to a
plow, and another as the jovial elder. The words “Carry On”
appeared below, which was a phrase her father hailed as he departed
from a family board meeting not too long ago. We all need to hear
those words from our elders from time to time, don’t we?
Maybe you have read about the bookstore owners in England who
found a folded WWII poster with the slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On”
printed below the British Crown. The “Keep Calm” poster was to be
distributed in the event of a German land invasion. Sixty-five
years later, the book store owners have reprinted the posters and
the slogan seems to be resonating with the times we live in. One
man bought the domain name keepcalmandcarryon.com, where
you can purchase everything from tee shirts to cuff links with the
slogan. My first thought was to buy a tee shirt for everyone I
know, but then I came back to my senses and was reminded that
extravagant consumerism is what got us into our current mess.
Robert Young’s simple button on my bulletin board is all I really
need.
The slogan does help me put things in perspective. When sirens
went off early Saturday morning before the market opened, we heard
emergency vehicles heading in two different directions. I thought
of Mrs. Miniver in London, paused to reflect on the many stories we
hear about bombs exploding in marketplaces in war-torn countries,
and was grateful for the relative peace we have here at home.
About two hours later, Chris Johnson came by the market, and
before I could ask him what was in his market tote, he was telling
me about the simultaneous calls that came into the Healdsburg Fire
Department that morning. Two needed engines. As an Emergency
Medical Technician, he was called to one of the incidents which
involved a stroke victim, the other call involved three injured
bicyclists on Westside Road. He was sitting in the Captain’s seat
on the stroke patient call.
I had seen Chris at a City Council Meeting two weeks before,
when the Council Chambers were filled with retiring public
officials. Chris told me he was there to pay homage to Captain
Steve Babb, who was retiring from the Fire Department. “He always
did his job calmly and professionally.” Chris told me. “It is sad
to lose so much institutional experience and wisdom.” That about
summed up the feeling in the room that day. “Fortunately, our
department has many new recruits who make it possible to respond to
emergencies such as those that happened this morning.”
That same evening, the City said farewell to Joe Lozinto, who
has rolled his patrol car into the parking lot at 7:20 a.m. on a
few Saturday mornings to help make room for the farmers. Thanks to
Chris, I was reminded of the support that comes to us from City
Hall. Community Services Director David Mikaelian and City Manager
Marjie Pettus recently responded to the community need for a
recycling can near the bridge. When we clean up the parking lot on
Saturday morning, most of the trash is plastic and glass bottles
from Friday night revelers, and now we have a place for those
recyclables.
We are all pitching in and being resourceful in these tough
economic times. There have been many take offs on the “Keep Calm”
slogan; maybe we can invent our own.
Revive your Zest, and Race a Zucchini
Zucchini Festival is Saturday, August 22. More information at
www.healdsburgfarmersmarket.org
Keep the Cheer, and Bake a Peach
When Barbara Scavullo of Geyserville was awarded the first prize
for her dessert at the Alexander Valley Association Picnic, she
gave credit to the peaches in her Peach Bread Pudding, which came
from the Farmers’ Market. The entire picnic table of Tim and
Melinda Barnard, Hally and Pam Swan, Jim and Kathleen Young,
Jeanette Brizee, and Susan Rose gave a hearty cheer for the
Farmers’ Market.
Mary Kelley is the manager of the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market.
The Saturday morning market continues through November. The Tuesday
afternoon market continues through October.