CUESA Farmers Markets Will Be Open This Weekend. Be Safe.

November 16, 2018

Our hearts are heavy for those devastated by the horrific fires in Butte County and Southern California. The Camp Fire has become the deadliest and most destructive fire in our state’s history. We’re eternally grateful to our community for the many ways we support each other in times of need.

Despite the severe air quality, our Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and Sunday Jack London Square Farmers Market will be open this weekend. Most of our sellers will be present, as they rely on the farmers market as a vital part of their livelihoods. Thank you to our shoppers and chefs for supporting our farmers and sellers through the fires. For attendance updates, check here. 

We want everyone to be safe and exercise caution venturing outside. Take precautions such as limiting your exertion and wearing a protective (N95) mask. Those with sensitive respiratory systems should stay indoors. You can check for updates on air quality at Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

We believe that coming together as a community to feed and care for each other is important in these difficult times. As we pray for everyone’s safety and an end to the fires, we’ve gathered some updates from our community, along with ways you can give support and get involved.

Updates from Our Market Community

We’re grateful that none of our farms and businesses have been in fire’s way thus far, though some are very close and have had to evacuate. We’re also concerned for the many farmers and farmworkers who have to breathe in this hazardous air for their daily work and harvest.

Here are a few updates from our farms in the area:

    View this post on Instagram         

Hey folks. We wanted to give you a quick update on our safety status here at the farm. We are still not in an evacuation area, however we are not out of danger’s way. We are staying closely tuned in to various sources to keep informed of wind direction and where the current burn area is so as to leave at a moment’s notice and have a safe place lined up. We packed up our belongings and moved and towed valuable machinery to safe areas. Our friends have been evacuated from Berry Creek so we are hosting them with all their livestock and dogs here at our place. It’s very smoky so we are not working but we are continuing with heavy irrigation to soak our surrounding orchards which are damp enough to hopefully arrest any potential encroaching flames from coming close to our 2 standing Farm buildings and construction of a new home which is framed up but still very incomplete. Having been burned out in summer of 2017 the Farm is still in recovery mode but we have made so much progress and very much hope we stay out of harms way this time. We are so saddened by all the destruction and subsequent struggle and sorrow that comes in its aftermath. Our hearts go out to all the displaced folks going through this. We are familiar with the depths of this grief and know the awful feeling of being shell shocked from such an experience. Community love and support helped us a ton and know that’s the key element to survival in crisis times. We will post again soon if anything changes. All of us here are so grateful to have each other during this time and our hearts are so heavy for all those who have loved ones lost or missing. Sending so much love to all our extended Farm family. #campfire #igetbywithalittlehelpfrommyfriends #eastoroville #wallfire

A post shared by The Peach Jamboree (@thepeachjamboree) on

Nov 11, 2018 at 3:29pm PST

How You Can Help

Relief efforts for the victims of these destructive fires will be ongoing in the weeks and months ahead. Our Bay Area food and restaurant community is helping the victims here. Here are a few ways to get involved by donating and volunteering. You can find a more comprehensive list of resources at the New York Times and 7×7.

Other ways to help and resources

World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen volunteers have served over 50,000 meals to victims of the Camp Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. Thousands of families and first responders are relying on our Chef Relief Team’s daily delivery of hot, fresh meals.

California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund

The foundation has offered aid to those affected by Califoria wildfires since 2003. Grants from the fund have gone to rebuilding homes, employment, providing financial and mental health assistance and helping those affected to get medical treatment.

CAUSE

Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, or CAUSE, distributed over 15,000 masks to farmworkers during the Thomas Fire in 2017. With farmworkers laboring again in smoky conditions in this year’s fires, CAUSE has teamed up with other organizations to help distribute N95 facemasks. They are asking people to donate to 805 UndocuFund to help buy masks for farmworkers out in the fields and to aid farmworkers that lose time off work and are often unable to apply for federal assistance because of immigration status.

North Valley Community Foundation

The foundation supports the needs of the evacuation centers in Chico who opened their doors to support the people who lost their homes and are fleeing the fire. Their immediate funding priorities are to make sure they have whatever they need to continue providing these vital services such as portable toilets, portable showers, blankets, energy and water costs.

Wildcats Rise – Fire Recovery Fund

Support Chico State students, faculty, and staff in need of clothing and household goods, transportation, childcare assistance, temporary housing, school supplies, or meal assistance.