Adela and Jude come from families where farming was a big part of our heritage, and our musical style, our social commitments naturally led us to performing at farmer’s markets. To us, playing three hours of music to people who enjoy it, watching the interactions at the market is one of the most wonderful musical events we can dream of. From toddlers who start dancing to 80 year olds who tap there can to tune that draws up a dusty old memory, it is one of the driving forces behind what we do.
The people we meet, the farmers, the market managers, the customers – all contribute to their local economies thriving. As traveling musicians – we are interlopers into every community that welcomes us in. We feel so lucky that we can experience this – and the most vibrant towns that we encounter – are the ones where community means everything. Keeping the money local, ends up keeping the economy healthy, the community engagement is what makes a farmers’ market work. We’ve felt that a wonderful way to celebrate these communities is to document our travels, and making a commitment to feeding ourselves on the food we get donated by farmers – in this way we can showcase the vibrancy of local farms and markets.
The impact of farmers markets goes far beyond the fresh produce offered. It brings back a time when people connected – talked to the farmers – nowadays – you can go into a supermarket and literally not talk or interact with a single person, and food is such a powerful social medium that the result of these markets is the re-engagement of community. We are striving to show that the impact of these markets on the greater good.
Our realization that SNAP funding is so closely tied to fresh, healthy food for people who cannot afford it and who have been tied to the diet fostered upon them by over processed, under-nourishing meals that when purchased at a supermarket – take those precious dollars out of the community – forever – and into the pockets of huge corporate food producers.
We feel compelled to do our part to help, and thus – “Will Sing for Food” was conceived. 2014 will be a year of planning and production of the film and our tour with release in 2015 of the finished project.
