In the everyday hustle and bustle called life, it’s easy to overlook the countless points of light that provide us comfort and moments of happiness. When one of those lights leaves us, it can hit us like a board to the head.
“You’re kidding?” is a common reaction when we learn of a friend or loved one’s passing. This past year many of us asked that question on several occasions. For the farmers market community, a less familiar face replaced the person on the other side of the table we transacted with each week. It’s a two-way street. Vendors are saddened to learn of a customer’s trip across the rainbow bridge as much as the shoppers. This shared sorrow is what makes the farmers market a true community, when one of the reliable parts of our weekly gathering is suddenly absent, total strangers feel the same sense of loss. In a sense, we’re all part of the same crop, but each of us harvested at different, seemingly random times. Some are so indelibly linked to our market experience that the impact of their passing it’s almost as if a face on Mt Rushmore was suddenly gone.
Frank Prevedelli
Frank Prevedelli, patriarch of Prevedelli Farms brought his family farm-grown fruit, vegetables, and artisanal packaged products to our markets since joining MBCFM in 1983. He was fortunate enough to love his life as a farmer and all the hard work it entailed. Frank was quick to help anyone who asked, be it a friend or another farmer. This sense of service to the community continues after his passing through the Frank Prevedelli Memorial Scholarship Fund established through the Agriculture and Santa Cruz Community Foundation. His family continues to sell his farm’s seasonal and local produce.
Bob Harris
One of the original founders of the MBCFM was Bob Harris, known to many as simply Bob-the-Egg-Man. In 1976, when a handful of farmers got together to breathe life into farmers market movement, Bob brought his Master’s degree in Poultry Husbandry from Oregon State University to the table, and with it helped establish the appeal and legitimacy of the farm direct business model. When Bob retired from the markets in 2018, he could see how these early efforts changed the Monterey Bay community by raising the consciousness of the importance of buying local.
Rodolfo Vasquez
Another “market OG” who joined the farmers market in 1983 was Rudy Vasquez. Best known for his strawberries, Rudy was also known as a kind and generous member of the community. Before becoming a berry baron, Rudy worked as a foreman at the Nulaid Egg Ranch for twenty years before he moved to Smuckers and then to a squid company for ten years after that. In 1973 Rudy and his wife Esther purchased fifteen acres of land in Moss Landing. Vasquez Farms was born. Since that time Vasquez farms grew a wide variety of berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and even blackberries. His legacy lives on as family members continue to grow and sell great-tasting berries grown on his farm in Moss Landing.
Liz Lyons Friedman
Though not a market vendor, Liz was a frequent customer and friend of our farmers market and the talented artist who created our 35th-anniversary commemorative poster in 2011. She also helped us organize a few of the art events we hosted featuring local artists. A few weeks ago, she lost her valiant battle with cancer. She will be deeply missed.
The fragile ecosystem of relationships that binds shoppers to vendors cannot be taken for granted if it is to survive. Farmers and other vendors at the markets need shoppers to survive, that’s obvious. The farmers and all vendors at every market support each other too, building camaraderie through the shared burden of showing up when it’s dark, and leaving until long after the last shopper has gone home. These markets have been called the “social event of the week” in their respective communities because of the bonds built week by week. It’s important to recognize how important these weekly communities are, and to bid a solemn farewell to those no longer with us.
Photo credit: Michael Keller
