Does Anyone Care?

For the two thousand, give or take, folks that shop at the Certified Farmers Market in downtown Redding on Saturday mornings, the question still is, does anyone care about the uneven gravel and rock surface on which half of the vendors have to set up?  A few weeks ago I wrote about this, and again today when we were picking up our vegetables and fruits, it hit home again.  Today, where Duzie’s was giving a cooking demonstration, much like what our Doni Greenberg did a few weeks ago, there was a good crowd sitting in the shade, and a much larger crowd standing around the perimeter of the demonstration. Most of this “standing area” was in the dust and dirt and in the direct sun, and with the temperatures rising, not a very comfortable scene. Why do we allow this to go on? Is anyone concerned, other than the vendors?

First, the Market is not just a “temporary fixture” in town. It has been there for many years and will continue to be a part of the Redding scene from about May through November each year. It will continue to be a place where a number of vendors will bring their product for sale, and it will continue to generate about $500,000 to this aspect of our local community each year. Secondly, it is more than just a “market”, in that it is a gathering place for both vendors with specialty products and for buyers that want something that they cannot get at Raley’s or Winco. From artistic hand made soaps to Churn Creek bottom grown vegetables, there is a lot to choose from. Thirdly, it is the only place in town on Saturday where you can come out and meet your friends and neighbors in a non-rush, non-commercial setting and just enjoy an hour or so kind of “doing nothing” with no parking and crowd hassles. Yes, we have the nice Mt. Shasta Mall, and we have great stores, but we do not have another place like the Farmers Market?

Well, change only happens when someone calls attention to an issue, and if we are going to change the physical conditions at the Farmers Market, then citizens of Redding need to make this concern known to the City Council. With the upcoming elections, this might be a good question to ask of the candidates. This will also tell us if our candidates are really in tune with a local weekly activity that a lot of people enjoy and make part of their weekly schedules. Time will tell, but make your concerns known.

Thanks for reading,

Ron Largent   www.ronlargent.com