Rutabagas in cyberspace: Farmers Market hits YouTube

By Chris Verner

cverner@salisburypost.com

Are Rowan veggies about to go viral?

It could happen, as Salisbury's downtown Farmers Market makes its video debut on YouTube, thanks to the LandTrust for Central North Carolina and a Salisbury media firm.

"The Farmers Market: Street Interviews," produced by the LandTrust in conjunction with JG (Joe Girdler) Media, features market patrons talking about their appreciation for fresh, locally grown produce and the importance of preserving farmland. The video's toe-tapping soundtrack also has a local flavor, courtesy of musician Hayes Smith and the Purple Hayes Boys.

Those interviewed include F&M Bank Chairman and CEO Paul Fisher, who describes the downtown farmers market as having "tremendous social value for the city and the county."

The LandTrust's operations director, Andrew Waters, serves on the farmers market board. The video was an outgrowth of discussions about ways to promote the market, which operates 7 a.m.-noon each Wednesday and Saturday at the corner of South Main and Bank streets.

"It fits right in with our goals of not just preserving land but preserving land in its cultural context," said Jason Walser, executive director of the Salisbury-based LandTrust, which paid for the production. "It's mutually beneficial for us, for the local growers and the farmers market."

As for combining fresh tomatoes and YouTube, he said the project was specifically conceived for the Internet as a way to reach a broader audience. Even if it doesn't turn out to be an Internet sensation, Walser said, it can help make younger viewers more aware of the importance of local agriculture and the LandTrust's role in working with farmers and other landowners to promote sustainable land use.

A link is also available at www.landtrustcnc.org.