>Subject: farmers' market and farmer stories wanted
>Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 11:34:59 -0400
>X-Priority: 1
>
>Friends of farmers' markets,
>
>Apologies for the short notice, but if you can reply to this early
>the week of the 29th, and not later than Friday the 2nd, I'll be
>grateful.
>
>I need your help in identifying the best and most interesting
>farmers' markets and food producers in the country.
>
>I'm shooting a pilot episode for a TV series called Farmers'
>Daughter, which we're hoping to sell to a US network. It will be
>similar to the 13-part British series I hosted, Farmers' Market. In
>each episode of that series, I go to a farmers' market, meet
>producers, visit a particuluar farm, learn about how the food is
>raised, and then cook something at the market. The British series
>explores food, farming, environmental, and cooking issues, from why
>buy local to why beef should be grass fed. The US series will be
>similar, though we may cook at farms, rather than at the market.
>
>For the first episode, we've chosen two farmers, one beef and one
>vegetable, who sell at a farmers' market in Northern VA, the oldest
>market in the region. We'll need ideas for another dozen episodes,
>with one market and two producers per episode. We won't do another
>Virginia farm, and we probably won't repeat beef, though there are
>many variations on vegetables we might do, so if you know an
>interesting salad greens grower, or chilli pepper master, let me
>know.
>
>I'm looking for about two dozen outstanding producers at a dozen
>farmers' markets with interesting stories for the rest of the
>series. We will need to achieve the following:
>
>a) regional spread, including variations on markets (big city, small
>town, etc)
>b) a range of produce (fish, lamb, poultry, game, mushrooms, wine,
>juice, sprouts, cheese, butter, milk, ice cream, grains, hot peppers)
>c) the producer must be bona fide, use his own ingredigents in
>processed foods (eg milk for ice cream), and sell at a producer-only
>farmers' market
>
>If the producer story is exceptional, the producer might be direct
>marketing some other way, like an outstanding CSA, or, say, a
>fisherman with her own boat who sells sustainably caught fish and is
>a great cook. Be generous with your recommendations, as long as they
>fit the theme of regional, sustainable farm produce, sold in the
>alternative, not large-scale commercial, venues.
>
>If this request could be posted in an appropriate place (like
>farmers' market organizers' offices or bulletins, the public markets
>forum, or the national network of farmers' markets), I would be
>grateful. Please forward this to anyone you know who runs an
>outstanding farmers' market or knows outstanding growers.
>
>For a posting, you can simply use this note, tweaked. Or I could
>write a 'Call for outstanding farmers' markets and outstanding
>producer stories' bulletin, with my contact details attached.
>
>I hope you can help. Thanks very much,
>
>Best wishes, Nina
>
>****************
>NINA PLANCK
>1644 Monroe St, NW
>Washington, DC 20010-1804
>202 232 6042
><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
