This will be a short plea. I'm a regular farmer's market patron, visiting 3-4 different markets in Manhattan, depending on where I am on a given day. Some of my folks, and a whole lot more, are on the verge of bankruptcy because of Hurricane-Tropical Storm Irene. Some haven't shown up in the last few days because they are underwater.
So, I'm making a point of putting out more dollars in those markets. I just back this morning from another run--after hitting a different market yesterday.
Can you do the same?
You've probably read aboutsome of this:
Like many other growers in the Hudson Valley, John Gill’s grandfather established his farm along the banks of a creek — in his case, the lower Esopus in Hurley, N.Y. — because the land was so fertile, with topsoil penetrating 10 to 30 feet into the earth.
The fertility is due to a flood plain. But the geological blessing of such a plain can change, in a matter of hours, into calamity, as Mr. Gill saw this week on the family farm, established in 1937, which sits at the base of the Catskill Mountains. More than a third of his 1,500 acres of sweet corn and other vegetables, which usually end up in the produce aisle of the ShopRite chain and on the menu at Blue Hill, among other places, was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene.
“I had some fields under 10 feet of water,” he said. “You couldn’t see a stalk.”
From the Hudson Valley to areas farther north, along the Mohawk River and Schoharie Creek, New York growers, many of whose farms have been in the family for generations, were dealt a devastating blow by the storm, which dumped heavy rain on the region. Some farmers, who were without power and hobbled by disabled equipment, were not even able to assess the full extent of the damage.
State and local officials said the storm destroyed dozens of farms and crippled many others by killing livestock, submerging crops, washing away barns and buckling nearby roads. The onslaught came at the worst possible time, with farmers in the midst of harvesting a year’s worth of labor. In some spots, orange orbs were eerily visible underwater during flyovers by state officials — a vestige of the season’s pumpkin crop. [emphasis added]
Yesterday, I talked with the northeast manager of the greenmarket network. We've kept up a steady dialogue over the years and I was struck by how worried she was about the current crisis. Basically, she said, "come back with two saddle bags to fill up to help them survive." The next three months will be make-or-break for many farmers.
This was the scene this morning in Inwood (upper Manhattan), which operates all year on Saturday. As you can see, there was a good, brisk business underway. This farmer made it through alright but she told me that the farm across the river from her location was virtually wiped out.
I know that many of you are deeply concerned about the growth and power of big agri-business. We need to support our local farmers right now--many of them won't survive.
If you live in New York City and are not sure where your greenmarket is, check this out.
People in other states: please do post links in your comments to greenmarkets in your state. Thanks!