It is positive that communities are making the connection between sustaining local agriculture and building downtown communities.

I am concerned about the value base in which this is occuring. As long as we focus on the economic benefit, and not view local agriculture (and organics) from an integrated model in which the effects upon our environment and our health are valued just as much, or better yet, more than economic benefit than we shortchange ourselves.

I wonder if we followed the European Union model in which they focus on farmers markets/organic farming as a way to support and increase healthy farming practices and healthy eating (versus the economic view of another consumer market) if we might gain better and increased benefits.

The Olympia Farmer's Market, in the time that I have been an active community member, has been an extremely exclusive organization to certain groups. Some might call this classicsm. They have very strict rules regarding non-profits using their space, allowing only once per year for an info table, NO donations. I know guys who have been yelled at and threatened prosecution for walking through. Gramted these individuals don't have showers or laundry available to them, but they were just walking through! Suburbian, middle/upper class folks leave their neighborhoods to come downtown to do their shopping. They don't have to experience any form of reality the entire trip, they can get out of their cars and immediately be in the Farmer's Market. I can see why the Market's management would want to keep the homeless out. You don't want to startle the herd.

Interesting information. I didn't know that. Community building, if you belong to one stratum of the community.