Until recently there was no need for much communications in the farmers market environment. Probably anyone you met in any small town, 100 years ago, could tell you what days and times perishables were sold at public market, in their town. Surely that person would be as amazed at the demise of the public market, as they would be the advent of the internet.
Now, email is old hat. The myriad of subject-matter, work demands, spam, phishing scams, etc. have reduced the effectiveness of email as a communication tool. People are more than likely to be reading electronic messages on a phone size appliance now, not a screen. I’m humbled to have lived through yet another demise of cutting edge technology. Eight tracks, VHS tapes, and now email.
Facebook is the now we face. I was skeptical until forced to use it by the organizers of another farmers market. It is the way to hook up with people who share an interest in a very specialized subject matter.
The Brownsville Farmers Market 9 to noon each Saturday thru May at the 6th Street Linear Park (though we are considering extending year-round, if farmers produce in the Texas Valley heat). That is the only repetitive message to communicate. And of course that most of the farmers who sell food there use no pesticides or chemical fertilizers ... it's food that cuts through politics, big business and dozens of social ills to include health care's industry of keeping people sick, with medicine that does as much harm as good – if not more. The bulk of our communication about the Market is not repetitive – who is coming ? what they are bringing ? what is a good way to prepare it ? etc. The most efficient way to get that timely info to you is to have it bypass as many middlemen as possible. Every repetition degrades the info. Accuracy is lost, the information is older and of less value.
So, this is a reminder. The weekly info about market details is going to be posted on the Brownsville Farmers' Market's FaceBook page. The farmers and other vendors will be able to post their individual info directly, daily or weekly. More importantly, we can get some communication among ourselves about our now treasured Farmers Market. One thing to remember, though, is that our Texas Valley farmers' markets are exactly what they are. The fewer expectations you have, the better the chance that you'll appreciate what's there. Don't look for the piles and piles of food you see in a grocery store, food that's been grown with pesticides and chemicals and that could be making all of us sick. Use what the market brings to you, and you'll help this market grow – and you'll help our local economy and environment flourish, too.
You can create a Facebook profile that is very bare bones, with very little personal information. Visit the FaceBook page of the Brownsville Farmers Market and become a “Fan”. Once you do that, any Brownsville Farmers Market Facebook posts will be on the opening page, each time you open FaceBook. Odds are, you won’t stop there. I keep up with everyone from my high school biology teacher to a cartoonist that specializes in Valley humor.
Go to FaceBook now and become a fan!
www.facebook.com/BrownsvilleFarmersMarket
And don't forget the South Padre Farmers' Market, 11am-1pm on Sundays. Find updates on their Facebook page as well, and "Like" them, too.
www.facebook.com/pages/South-Padre-Island-Farmers-Market/240120627092
By Jack Moffit
(updated by David Robledo)
No comments:
Post a Comment