permaculture

[scakya@lobo.net]

Hi,
   As one who has sold at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market(and other NM 
Farmer's Markets )and has helped count folks coming through can tell you 
there is definitely a seasonable flux in numbers that come through the 
markets.5,000 is on average for that market and if you contact the Friends 
of the Santa Fe Market you would likely see a rise in the average count due 
to current conditions here in NM. You'll also see that the average travel 
time may have also grown as more people are coming from farther away to take 
advantage of the many unique venders that often can be found there.


Pat Maas
Earthwalker Farm
McIntosh, NM 

Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:55:05 -0600
From: "paul" <charybda@newmex.com>
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Shoppers "flock" to farmers' markets
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org> 

This study is encouraging and very misleading. The study is about people's
preferences and not about their actions. While in the study 30% "preferred"
buying direct from farmers or at farmers markets, in my experience of 
selling
my produce at farmers markets, we don't even get close to 10% of the 
population
coming through any of the markets in my region. If you think about a city of
500,000 people, would it even be possible for 150,000 people to get through 
a
farmers market on a Saturday morning? Impossible. That's more people than 
fit
in any football stadium. 

The city of Santa Fe, New Mexico USA sees about 5,000 people through a 
market
peak season. The population is 70,000 and the market draws from a larger
surrounding area not in that count. 

Paul Cross