Foothill Farmers' Market manager steps down

After five years playing a key role in expanding local agriculture, Christina Abuelo stepped down at the end of December as market manager of the Foothill Farmers' Market Association Abuelo's love of garden-fresh produce began at a young age, eating fruits and vegetables from the family garden."I grew up with an appreciation for good, wholesome fresh food," Abuelo said Tuesday.In fact, the farmers' market was a big selling point in deciding to move to Auburn.The day she and her husband, Bill Capinski, came to look over the area, it was rainy and miserable."But I saw the farmers' market and said 'if it has this, it must be a good place,'" she said.Then, when the market manager job opened up, she knew it was something she'd like to do."My excitement was evident," she said of the interview for the job. "I saw so many possibilities. I had a lot of ideas."And she saw many of those ideas through to completion. Under her management, the association has doubled its membership. The number of markets has grown from seven to 16 and the budget has quintupled.Foothill Farmers' market board treasurer Paul Burns, co-owner of Ophir Wines, has had a front-row seat to witness the changes."From the financial side, the amount of growth in terms of revenue in the past five years has been phenomenal," he said. "It went from $35,000 to $150,000."For Abuelo, choosing where to locate the new markets was easy."So many communities came to us and wanted farmers' markets," she said. "The ones we started are in communities where there's a lot of support."She also realized early on that an important part of successful farmers' markets is having a large number of vendors. "Our database has grown from 200 to 1,200 vendors," Abuelo said. "We've had people move to the area because our markets were viable sources for their livelihood."And along the way, she set goals. "I had set some funny milestones," she said. "(I thought) if I can only get a tamale vendor - then I got one. Then I wanted to get a vendor of fresh fish. My next was fresh pasta. I consider those little benchmarks."The increase in venues has been a magnet for vendors, because it has made it possible to sell their produce and products any or every day of the day a week. One of the joys of the job was visiting the markets, which she did on a rotational schedule. During the peak summer season, Abuelo would see four to six a week. She also got to see a lot of agriculture in action."It's extremely rewarding to visit the farms," she said. "Coming out to the expanse of farms when they're in bloom, it is just a wonderful experience. I'm still in awe of a farmer who can grow a seed and turn in into nutritious food."Abuelo devoted a lot of time to promotional work, writing articles and columns for area publications, overseeing creation of a Web site and orchestrating placement of billboards and banners on Interstate 80 and other main thoroughfares, as well as distribution of recipe cards and shopping bags.For her food columns, which put emphasizes on seasonal produce, she kitchen tested every recipe, she said.Burns has enjoyed working with her. "The most impressive is the growth in markets, the amount of foods and products available and the customer base," he said.From a customer standpoint, he's been impressed too."When I first went to (a local) farmers' market, there'd be seven or 10 vendors with just a few things. It was, for me, disappointing..." he said. "(Now) we have fresh fish, locally raised beef, lamb and pork. People come in with mandarin oranges and bring different mandarin syrups and sauces. You can do a whole meal. If you want to make a nice dinner on Saturday, you can get everything you need. And that attracts people to the farmers' market, knowing they can get it all in one place."Abuelo is quick to share responsibility for her achievements with the Foothill Farmers Market board members, organization partners and market advisers. "Nothing that I accomplished could have been done without a lot of teamwork," she said.Abuelo, who moved to California from Rhode Island, is a graduate of Brown University and worked as the executive director of an inner city community center in Providence, R.I. She also has worked as a grant proposal writer.She and her husband have two children.Her activities in the community include serving on the Placer County Visitors Council board and the Placer Nature Center board. She is the founder of the local chapter of the Slow-Food Convivium. Abuelo is starting her own company and plans to continue in the marketing field.The Journal's Gloria Young can be reached at Gloriay@goldcountrymedia.com.