Farmer’s Market: Annie takes care of market

Special to the Green Valley News

You’ll know her by her energy and her heart. Buzzing from one customer to another with grace, she’s giving out information to each as savvy shoppers line up to buy. She’s Annie Duncan, market organizer and organic grower from Tubac.

“I’m your organic produce department here!” she jokes with a customer.

“These things saved my life,” she shares with another.

To satisfy customer needs, Annie supplements her own crops with those of other organic growers. In her desire to remain as “green” as possible, she purchases outside produce grown as close to home as feasible, thereby reducing fuel required for transportation.

This busy woman has been through several careers that would make anyone proud, but now says, “I only do things that make me happy.” She’s found that working with the earth, growing plants and becoming self-sufficient brings her “peace of mind and peace of heart.”

“Getting a healthy Farmer’s Market in every Southern Arizona town so that residents can buy direct from the people who produce,” while helping residents reduce travel was a driving force for Annie. A deeply spiritual woman, she says, “Do what’s right for you and everything will come to you.” Using the market here in Green Valley as an example, she says, “It’s opening up like magic! I started it as a way to sell my organic ‘stuff.’ Now, I’m selling organic produce to hundreds and hundreds of people each week. That was my dream. Now I’m there!”

“Green Valley people have made this the number one Farmer’s Market in Southern Arizona,” she proclaims, in her usual manner of giving others praise and shifting the spotlight to them. Remembering the onset of the market in Green Valley, she says, “I just asked the vendors to show up and be friendly and loving.” They did, and that feeling drives our weekly experience.

“I see people from Green Valley coming to the Market to meet and see their friends and listen to some music. I love that!”

“Ten years ago I bought a bare naked piece of ground ... I’ve been developing it ever since,” she says. Now, she’s able to use some of the profits generated to make larger improvements including greenhouses. She’s putting her UofA education in both horticulture and architecture to work, too, as she discovers the best way to utilize shade cloth and solar energy to keep the houses cool in summer and creates heat sinks to keep the sought after local winter crops warm and happy.

Annie is the organizer of the Green Valley Farmer’s Market and keeps things humming.

Remember to “Shop the Market First” and remember that it is going strong 12 months a year despite our drop in population. The vendors are going to keep us supplied and we will show them we appreciate them, won’t we?

If you go

The Farmer’s Market runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at Green Valley Village, La Canada and Esperanza, and includes dozens of vendors.