One of the highest compliments we “Lil’ Birds” receive is when someone tastes one of our organic baked goods and is instantly transported to one of their most fond memories of childhood – to a moment spent enjoying grandmother’s sourdough or mom’s thumbprint cookies; to a moment of warmth or comfort, satisfaction, joy or even bliss. These moments we all recall from time to time are the stuff of meaningful human connection – from one generation to another – from one member of family or community to another – from one soulful being to another.
As many of our beautiful patrons know, we spent this last summer doing two markets each week: our “bread and butter,” over at the well-established Richland Park Farmer’s Market each Saturday morning (9-12) and, then, the First Annual Arrington Farmer’s Market out at Delvin Farms, each Wednesday afternoon (3:30-6:00).
As daylight savings is now upon us, this next Wednesday (11/13/24) will be the final market date for the season over at Arrington Farmer’s Market and there is something very special in the air, as we vendors will be celebrating an organic and uniquely special kind of camaraderie that is rare to find in the world these days. It’s the stuff of what is mentioned in the first paragraph – the stuff that inspires spontaneous recall of fond memories, particularly of a kind before cell phones, social media and all modern forms of entertainment, for lack of a better word, that have since altered the definition of community.
When I was a child (“Birdie” speaking 😊) and growing up on the Monterey peninsula, we didn’t have cell phones but you can bet your bottom dollar that, if you did anything wrong across town, by the time you got home, your mom already knew about it! People knew one another. They took time to get to know one another. While living out in Carmel Valley, I went nearly everywhere barefoot (to this day, I can still run barefoot on asphalt or terrain riddled with rocks – a “badge of honor” for us kids out in the country). I recall so many experiences of shared company with family and community gatherings. Kids came together with grownups that had no fear of sharing differing political opinions or any divisive topic that never failed to resolve with hugs and questions as to when they’d be getting together next. We helped with projects like building a rock wall out at Judy and Bill’s house, after which the grownups feasted on BBQ while we had the freedom to explore the natural world, ride horses, climb trees and hang out in “Missy’s house of Green” as my Mama called it. Missy was what was, in a “non-PC” world, referred to as “mentally retarded” and yet we kids all played together, Missy no exclusion, which is another memory I hold in my heart with love and appreciation for how things should be, but I digress…
I also recall playing baseball with “the grownups” in the late evening, down near the Sunset Center, with great white flood lights filling what would naturally have been the pitch black of night (laws in our small town didn’t allow for stoplights/street lights, which made for really scary “ghost in the graveyard” games on our block!). We had the great blessing of coming together with people in community that wasn’t defined by any social anything – just grownups and kids having a good time together. I remember harvest festivals with cake walks and bobbing for apples; making many stops along the way home to “visit” with the old ladies at the candy store and other local shops in town…and, of course, pulling open the creaking screen door to Rosie’s Cracker Barrel, where we would have to pull ourselves up on the tall counter’s edge, to peer across at the wall of candy, while figuring out what we could afford…! I recall open bonfires on the beach and, most especially, knowing a kind of freedom kids today lack almost entirely; freedom to go places on their own, even at young ages; freedom to take risks their mothers would never learn about until many years after the fact! And much more.
All of this is to share that our time as “OG Vendors” (as Sterling has dubbed us all 😊) out at the First Annual Arrington Farmer’s Market has brought back something beautifully intangible – that stuff of memory and connection, in community. The Delvin family and their special team of “dear hearts and gentle people” – like the ones I knew in my own home town…like our fellow vendors with whom we have laughed and shared in this grand opening experience together…and the family-oriented community at large that has come out to support the whole lot of us…all of this is the stuff of beautiful, meaningful and delightful connection that contributes to the ongoing weaving of real community.
We are grateful and feel very blessed to have been selected to participate in this wonderful new market over the summer and thank everyone above who has brought us fond memories, warmth of community and an opportunity to provide quality organic food to others while, at the same time, putting food on our own table. Thank you all!
With blessings and gratitude,
Aliza Wiseman (“Birdie”) and Sterling G. Wiseman
a.k.a. “We Lil’ Birds!”
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