Reinvigorating the Farmers Market, rating Dallas' cops, and an angry neighborhood group

Some Monday morning notes from the blogosphere:

• Those of us who cook -- or just love fresh produce -- have lamented for years that the city's Farmers Market is mostly made up of retailers who aren't farmers, which accounts for a lot of moldy fruits and vegetables. The Observer reports that just 10 farmers sell seasonal crops on an irregular basis out of the market’s yellow shed. Now, the city says it is going to do something about it. ""We're damned serious about putting the farmer back into Farmers Market," says a city official. We shall see. I have heard this song more than a few times over the past 25 years, and I have also heard this one, mostly from city councilman Mitch Rasansky: Close the damned thing already, and spend the city's money elsewhere.

• How about a web site called RateMyCop, created by a California couple to allow people to rate police officers and sheriff’s deputies across the country? The link above is for Dallas' finest; most of the area's departments are also listed. The New York Times reports that the information on the site, obtained from public records, will probably survive a legal challenge, though police officials are less than thrilled. "Officers who are rated face unfair maligning without any opportunity to defend themselves," said one. I checked out a friend of mine who works in Plano, and he isn't rated. Dallas chief David Kunkle, on the other hand, has been rated "poor" for authority, fairness and customer satisfaction.

• We get a lot of grief down here because our neighborhood groups have so many strong opinions about so many things. But at least we aren't making constitutional law. A Frisco homeowners group has sued three of its members for libel, claiming the members accused the group's board of lying to its members. This is cutting edge legal stuff, reports Dallas' Only Daily Newspaper. And all we do is scare multi-national corporations.

Comments

[Lee]

RE: Farmers market
For the first time in a long as I can remember, the Farmers Market is NOT being fun by a long time City of Dallas employee who knew nothing about a market, marketing retail, etc. Last year they did a nationwide search and hired a woman from Virginia, where she had run a municipal market. She has a degree in Horticulture and knows farming and produce. She is making major changes, correcting years of poor planning, indifference and sloppy maintenance. There is also a support group, Farmers Market Friends, which puts on the cooking classes and other events, raising funds to supplement the money budgeted by the City.

[DK]

RE: Farmers Market

Perhaps they could update their website.