Change is germinating for two of Gilroy’s grassroots nonprofits that tout quality produce, teach sustainable practices and promote buying locally.
The Gilroy Demonstration Garden (a 3/4 acre lot located on Eigleberry Street between Sixth and Seventh streets) and the Gilroy Farmers’ Market (open seasonally on the corner of Monterey and Seventh streets) are two separately-run entities with a common vision of connecting the community to all the goodness that earth has to offer. Both nonprofits happen to be undergoing significant changes in leadership.
Judy Hess, a green-thumbed guru, landscape designer and visionary who in 2010 teamed up with a local leadership program to help transform the dusty, vacant lot into the verdant garden oasis it is today, is leaving her post once a replacement is secured. Hess is stepping down to spend more time with her three grandchildren, but still plans on volunteering. The garden’s board has an offer out to a new candidate but won’t identify who that is until they get an answer by next week at the latest.
“Somebody came up to me the other day and said the garden is one of the best kept secrets in Gilroy,” said Hess, who “loves” the garden and fondly refers to it as “my little baby.”
“I said, ‘that’s great, but I don’t want it to be one of the best kept secrets,” she continued. “I want everyone to know who we are and we want them out here with us.’”
The pair of fresh faces taking over the Gilroy Farmers’ Market, which works closely with and is hosted by the Gilroy Demonstration Garden, foster a similar attitude. Ian Webb, 28, and his wife Theresa Webb, 27, of Gilroy, envision the market as “a center for community activity.”
The Webbs are the newest volunteers to step forward and lead the market, which struggled through its first two years with a rotating door of directors and an inconsistent number of vendors. Following two prior, failed attempts over a span of several years, a third effort to get a farmers’ market going in Gilroy was spearheaded in 2011. Gilroyan Catalina Ventura served as the market’s first director, followed by local Kersty Daniels in 2012.
The Webbs will continue nurturing the sapling organization in hopes its roots will take lasting hold in the Garlic Capital, thus encouraging Gilroyans to spend their dollars locally rather than at markets in Hollister or Morgan Hill.
“There’s definitely been challenges in the past and there’s challenges for us now. But really what we’re looking to do is formulate the market to be a community center,” said Ian, a Gavilan College art and design student who envisions the market as “a center of community activity” with special and cultural events.
The Webbs were appointed three weeks ago and are still working to line up an opening weekend and list of committed vendors to begin the new season. Traditionally, the season kicks off in May and runs through October. Last year, the market was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
Daniels, who left for personal reasons, said she will still be very much involved with the market in some capacity or other.
“I took it on to help out because I’ve been very involved with the Demonstration Garden,” she explained. “Basically it comes down to I need to get a regular job with a steady income…I’d love to do it, but financially I can’t.”
She believes the market is “well on its way” but also reminds: it takes three to five years to establish a steady clientele. That will happen, she said, with more advertisement, more support and more farmers.
The nonprofit market made around $4,000 last year, which came from vendor fees and one cash donation of $600. Most of that was spent on insurance, permit fees, advertising, equipment and paying for the musical entertainment. In 2012, Daniels told the Dispatch that in order to “hang on,” the market needs a minimum of 200 people spending at least $20 a person every Sunday.
While Ian acknowledges the growing market has experienced its fair share of “issues” as a work in progress, “we’re really passionate about the community and the market being a success this year and being a success next year,” he maintained. “It’s a progressive thing … we just want to continue to grow it.”
If history reveals any lessons, that outlook could serve him well.
In the 26-year saga of the Hollister Farmers’ Market, for example, the vendor count has “gotten down to 10 and up to 70,” Manager Tammy Jackson told the Dispatch last year. “That’s the biggest thing. You’ve got to somehow get everyone to come together in the community and stick with it, through the good times and the bad.”
According to Director Gail Hayden with the California Farmers’ Market Association, which runs the Saturday Farmers’ Market in Morgan Hill, it usually takes three to five years and $25,000 to $35,000 in advertising for a market to catch on.
“When the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce called us for help (in 1996), they only had six farmers,” Hayden told the Dispatch last year. “And look at them today. It has taken a lot to build it.”
On its best day, the Gilroy Farmers’ Market vendor count was up to 24 booths between produce, artisan crafts and prepared food. But in August 2012, vendors began to yank their produce due to low shopper turnout.
“Because it’s seasonal, being able to rotate seasonal farmers in is very challenging,” Daniels explained.
The Webbs say they’re ready for that challenge. Having already worked in the garden since its inception, the couple exudes an obvious gusto for community volunteerism. It’s something they’ll pass on to their daughter Ina, going on 5, and their 6-month old son, Tor.
“We are a family team,” said Theresa. “We not only enjoy the produce and the fruits and vegetables, but we also want our children growing up feeling a sense of community and understanding how to grow fresh fruits and vegetables and the benefits of that.”
The Webbs’ can-do attitude, on that note, is precisely the youthful exuberance Hess is looking for from the next director of the garden.
“There really needs to be some energetic, young people to run this garden. Someone who has fresh ideas,” said Hess. “I think I’ve done a pretty good job to take it to this level – and, of course, it wasn’t me by myself, it was the community.”
Contact Theresa Webb at 408-847-2481 or at [email protected] for information on volunteering at the market.
Attention, locavores: Are you a community member interested in joining the 2013 Farmers’ Market Planning Committee?
The group will meet every Tuesday night this month. After that, they will meet for the first two Tuesdays of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the coffee house on the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets in downtown Gilroy.
The meeting dates are:
-March 12, 19, 26
-April 2, 9
-May 7, 14
-June 4, 11
-July 2, 9
Now in its third year, the Gilroy Farmers’ Market will be under the new management of Theresa and Ian Webb. Those who are interested in being a part of the planning committee can call (408) 847-2481 on Tuesdays and Sundays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or email [email protected].
