
The market is a place to meander and pause amongst neighbors and functions as a temporary village commons, which is largely missing from our rural area. As folks listen to Simme of Poor Man’s Jug Band sing old folk and gospel tunes, eat Carolyn’s delicious gluten-free goodies, shop for local food and wares, or wait for Tom Schoonover of Schoonover Farm to press their cider, there is a space made for informal connections between people. These passing conversations and chance encounters are the seeds of a growing sense of community. Cultivated on the fertile ground of these seemingly superficial, chance encounters, deeper connections between neighbors eventually fruit into greater community resilience. Informal networks flourish while chatting with neighbors. Talking to a man who is passionate about winter gardening, we learn he would be willing to co-teach a class and share which winter greens can be eaten in January without hoop houses or cold frames. Meeting another man who just moved into the area, we learn he has just bought a commercial pasta maker and was thrilled to see that Fairhaven Flour Mill sells bulk Durham wheat. Another woman, who just moved into ‘downtown’ Alger donated her large unused front yard signage to help promote the activities of the Alger Improvement Club, Chuckanut Transition, and the Bow Little Market. Yet another woman shared her dream of getting people together for cooperative food preservation efforts at her house. And many, many more people were excited to learn about the Food Swap and are on board for next year.


