You would need to be a bit of a film buff, a huge fan of awards shows, or maybe just chronologically challenged to remember Sally Field’s gushy acceptance speech to her second Oscar for “Places of the Heart.”
She commented on the long and winding road toward acceptance and respect as an actor with a mix of smiles, tears, and an exclamation that “You like me!” As Field had already won a previous Oscar, Emmys, Golden Globes, Cannes, and American Movie Awards, among others, you might think she would be a bit more blasé.
You have to understand the sentiment, though, even if you have not had the opportunity to win multiple Oscars yourself. We all like to be recognized for what we do, especially if the recognition comes for something that we consider very important or noteworthy. It indicates that someone else considers our efforts to contribute to a larger good as well.
Venders of farmers markets around the state had their “Oscar Moment” earlier this year. The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry got their Agricultural Resources Development Division to crunch some numbers that supported the increasing popularity of farmers markets around the state. The assumption is, of course, that marketing follows the same basic tenets as natural selection … good ideas thrive and grow; bad ones wither to extinction. The reported results indicate a near doubling of the number of registered farmers markets in the state — 63 in 2007 and 109 to 120 in 2014. The numbers therefore support the contention that farmers markets are a good idea.
“Buy local” and “Know your farmer” concepts are gaining traction. Nothing is as local and as familiar as regular trips to your local farmers market.
On a very local level, members of the Presque Isle Farmers Market assemble in the Aroostook Centre Mall parking lot on Saturday mornings between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
We get a real boost from visiting with regular customers who appreciate our fresh, nutritious, locally-grown products. Whether we get kudos from the customer or from the state agency, the result is the same … a big smile, a few tears (well, maybe not that one so much) and an exclamation, “You like me! You really like me.” Thanks.
The Presque Isle Farmers’ Market contact person is Gail Maynard, who operates Orchard Hill Farm in Woodland with her husband, Stan. Their phone number is 498-8541 and their email is orchhill@gmail.com.
