Monday, December 27, 2010

Culture at the Market

Greetings from Margaret W. Miyake, visiting family in Honolulu

"Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture," wrote Mark Kurlansky in Choice Cuts. Food reflects the cultural influences in a community. Scotty’s breakfast sandwich, Juan and Maria’s empanadas, Manuela Noble‘s tacos, and The Pirogi Guy’s variety of pirogies reflect Southern, Latin American, Mexican, and East European cultural influences in Rochester at its Public Market.


At the KCC Farmer’s Market in Honolulu, spam musubi, fried rice, and ahi poke reflect Japanese, Chinese and Hawaiian cultural influences.

Hawaii is a cultural crossroads where Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Mexican, Filipino, French, Vietnamese, Samoan,“American” foods are often combined to create new dishes like spam musubi or ahi poke.

Poke is the Hawaiian name for cubed fresh fish (often ahi which is tuna) seasoned with a variety of ingredients such as green and white onion, limu (seaweed), sesame oil, kukui nut, sea salt, ginger, soy sauce—usually not all at the same time!

Spam musubi is the Hawaiian version of a Japanese rice ball topped with a slice of fried Spam and wrapped with a sheet of nori, the toasted seaweed used for sushi rolls.

Fried rice is a Chinese version of rice sautéed with onion, shrimp or other meats, vegetables and often seasoned with soy sauce or oyster sauce.

The KCC market is a connoisseur’s as well as an epicure’s delight of colors, smells, and tastes, reflect the many cultural influences in the islands

The KCC Market is under the auspices of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. It is open on Saturdays from 7:30 – 11:00, on the Kapiolani Community College campus.

“The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF) is a non-profit organization of farming families united for the purpose of analyzing problems and formulating action to ensure the future of agriculture thereby promoting the well-being of farming and the State's economy.

  • "The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF) was organized back in 1948 by a group of farmers on the Windward side of Oahu. It was then that the very first Farm Bureau meeting was held.
  • "In 1950, the HFBF was formerly incorporated and has grown into the present statewide organization consisting of approximately 2200 member families in ten counties located throughout the State.” http://www.hfbf.org/about.shtml




Crossroads of the Community


Crossroads of the Community

Where in Rochester can you find fresh cardone, collards or daikon, sold by the farmers who grew them? Hear people speaking Russian, French or Vietnamese along with English and Spanish? See old friends and meet new ones? Shoppers and vendors from all ethnic, social and economic backgrounds gather every week, year round, to buy, sell and socialize at the Rochester Public Market, the crossroads of our community.

Crossroads of the Community: Rochester Pubic Market, a photography exhibit by Margaret W. Miyake, will be on display at St. John Fisher College, Lavery Library from January 7 to February 25, 2011. The public is invited to the opening reception and talk on January 20 from 5 – 7 PM.

Miyake has been photographing at the market since 2006. She has also photographed several of the farmers at their farms. She has exhibited her work at the Community Darkroom, the High Falls Gallery, and the Link Gallery at City Hall.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Getting to know vendors at the market

Getting to know you --vendors and farmers at the Rochester Public Market. How many times do we talk to our favorite vendor or farmer, yet may know now their name? Here are some vendors who have been selling at the market for many years.


Michael "Bo-na-na Man" and Peggy Kearney,
P&M Produce






Anita Amsler and Louie Bell
Oldhome Farm, Macedon



Larry Patrick visiting with a customer
Larry's Cheese, Niagara-Wheatfield





Monday, September 13, 2010

Voted America's Favorite Farmers' Market 2010


Rochester Public Market was voted America's Favorite Farmers' Market 2010 in the nationwide contest sponsored by American Farmland Trust. Congratulations to all the market goers who voted for our community's outstanding market.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

46 months



Since August 2006 I have been photographing at the Rochester Public Market. When I prepare a meal like vegetable soup for instance, I'll think of each farmer as I chop and cook--Brent's potatoes, Anita and Louie's carrots, Richard's kale, Carol and Wally's tomatoes, Jeff's basil, Betty and Rev. Moss's green beans, Gerte and Sam's zucchini, and Frank's garlic.

How much more meaningful shopping, cooking and eating have become since I've met and gotten to know more than a hundred farmers and vendor at the market. Rev. Moss impressed me the day he was wearing a suit. He had had to officiate at friend's funeral. Sam and Gerte Pitti's fruits are as delicious as their vegetables.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

2011 Rochester Public Market calendar




The 2011 Rochester Public Market calendar highlights farmers on their farms as well as vendors at the market. The market is open year-round with farmers vendors selling cold-storage produce in the winter and freshly picked local produce and flowers in the spring, summer and fall. Speciality vendors sell fish, coffee, bakery cakes, cookies, and breads as well as kitchen utensils, clothing and spices. The calendar is for sale, $12.00.
To purchase the calendar, contact Margaret at mwmiyake@hotmail.com

At the market and on the farm

When Cole comes with his dad to the market, often he is selling flowers or vegetables he picked the day before.

His dad's zinnia field is a like a rainbow--pinks, yellows, reds, oranges and whites. When driving by, one has to be careful to watch the road, not look at the field. Jeff isn't liable for accidents!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Meeting at the Market

Meeting at the Market features farmers on their farms and at the Rochester Public Market, Rochester, New York. I visited and photographed local farmers to help understand what brings them to the market week after week. Each family has been farming and selling their produce at the market for many years. their farms, some over a hundred acres and other less than ten, are the source of their livelihood.




Jeff Werner and his son Cole are picking eggplant to bring to the Rochester Public Market, Rochester, New York. Jeff's farm is in Rush, New York. His family has been farming since the mid-1980s.