Rain or Shine

Rain or shine, we'll be open. Evie writes this in her email, I think. Most Farmer's Markets try to be open each week, the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco is among them. What does this mean? A year round farm never really gets any time off. Lee trucks her product to market in the white van every Saturday, rain or shine, besides once or twice a year when she takes personal leave to visit her folks in Oregon. The farm stand is ALWAYS there, all year, rain or shine. That is what is so great about it, it is dependable as much as a farm can be. You know you can come and expect carrots and beets each week and maybe run into some things you did not expect as an added surprise.

But it is hard! It is hard on you, the customer, because who really wants to go out in the wet, cold mess that is a rainy day. It is hard on us, keeping dry things dry and dealing with the wet things as they get wetter and muddy. Lee is frantic to keep her awning and tents perfectly placed so as to not drench her dried chiles and beans while placing them out for sale to make her trip worth everyone's time. It is hard on the harvest crew as they slosh about in the mud to uproot our winter soup staples for the week, projecting in their minds the days ahead with little to do as we all wait for the soils to dry out. We go to this trouble to serve one another. We hope that in the end the efforts of each of our roles will be the means to an end.

I will go tomorrow to the farm stand and hope that you will come and greet me because this is why I am there, no matter what the weather brings. We are community bound by our local food source, our farmers and our need for flavor and nutrition to enhance or existence. Please don't leave me waiting in the rain alone! And remind your friends too!

Lonely scene looking out from within the farm stand on a rainy afternoon. Don't be shy about shopping when the rain kicks in....your vegetables are still right here waiting for you.