I’m still feeling the glow from the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market 30th Anniversary celebrations. Thank you Roxana Jullapat, Erika Nakamura, Amelia Posada, Mike Cirone, Jerry Rutiz, and Marcie Jimenez! Our day of cooking demonstrations at the market so perfectly expressed what a good market offers: amazing fruits, vegetables, and meats—the “whole plate”—and the tools to help shoppers put all those ingredients to use.

SMFM 30th Anniversary Demos

Our merry band represented all manner of approaches to food and farmers’ markets, from home cook to brilliant chef and from rancher to orchard whisperer. But what really resonated for me was our shared awareness of the incredible grower-cook friendships that have flourished over the years…which we then got to talk about later at the Good Food Festival and Conference Opening Symposium.

More SMFM 30th Anniversary Demos

How do I know the event was a success beyond our own satisfaction and the fact that we got wonderful press? The participating farmers sold out of whatever crop we cooked. A lot of people went directly from the demo to that farmers’ stand to buy the ingredients so they could try the recipes at home. A terrific example, yet again, of how connecting in person and in context makes for quick learning. May the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market—and others—thrive another 30 years!