Unique Opportunities for the WWFM and the Town of Cary

The Town of Cary is currently in the process of updating its Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Master Plan, which is the basis for the town’s activities in this area for the next 10 years. Town of Cary began soliciting public input for the Master Plan this past summer through several public meetings, online surveys and by collecting emails from the community.
On Oct. 26, 6-8 pm, the community is invited to the Herb Young Community Center in Cary to review the findings of Master Plan process to date, including public meeting comments, the surveys, park and facility inventory, focus group meetings and email input.

How Does the Western Wake Farmers’ Market Fit in the Plan?

The Western Wake Farmers’ Market (WWFM) Board of Directors and shoppers who support the market attended the earlier public meetings to comment on suggestions for a permanent home for WWFM in Cary. The market’s lease at its current location expires in the spring, and WWFM had previously approached the Town of Cary about how a permanent structure for the Western Wake Farmers’ Market could benefit Cary citizens.
Staff from the Town of Cary reported to the Town Council on the possibility of housing the WWFM temporarily on town-owned land called the A.M. Howard Farm Park in an operations meeting on Oct. 6^th. The property is located very close to our current location on the NE corner of Louis Stevens Rd. and Morrisville Carpenter Rd. It is the same land that the WWFM has in mind for a permanent structure as part of a unique educational farm park.
It was not a surprise that the TOC was unable to grant the request for temporary use of this currently undeveloped land. Cary has some of the strictest development and zoning rules in the country. This has made Cary able to uphold a certain quality of living, but at the same time does not yield the flexibility to accommodate unique, homegrown events like a weekly farmers’ market. While other cities and small towns across the state and the country strive to enhance offerings by establishing and operating farmers’ markets, the Town of Cary simply has not yet prioritized this for its citizens.
The reasoning for the rejection of the request was simply that under the current code, it would be irrationally expensive as there is no provision for any temporary use. Just to set up a gravel parking lot, we would be required to widen Louis Stevens Rd, compose a full-site evaluation and everything else that a permanent developer would be required to do. A gravel parking lot with a price tag in the multiple hundreds of thousands just doesn't make sense.
Cary has pharmacies and indistinguishable grocery stores on every corner, but what about something that stands out a little bit? What about something that will draw people to our community? I look forward to the day Cary can boast about the unique experiences people can enjoy here. I look forward to the day when the WWFM has a permanent structure that we can use to give Cary businesses a chance to showcase their items. I look forward to a day when healthy, local, sustainable food has an enduring presence in Cary. We know that many Cary citizens value this service. The WWFM averages 700 visitors during high-season Saturdays.

How Can You Be Involved?

You can help change the status quo by telling Cary that you want a farm park that contains a farmers’ market. The Master Planning Process is well underway. We had a lot of support in the first public meeting and need as many voices as possible in the next public meeting on October 26 at the Herbert Young Community Center at 6pm. If you cannot make the meeting, email your comments to parksplan@townofcary.org. You can view the comments from the first public meeting by following this link.
The Carpenter Village property owners where the market currently operates are very accommodating and will continue to work with the WWFM so that we can remain where we are as long as possible while we solidify plans for a permanent structure and hunt for a good temporary location. We are looking at public and private options in Cary and Morrisville.
The WWFM is a non-for-profit organization committed to educating the public about the importance of eating local food. WWFM is the only market in Wake County that currently accepts EBT cards, which enables those who qualify for financial assistance to purchase healthy, local produce. We will continue to work hard to establish a foothold in Cary so that it is convenient for our citizens to eat this way. If this is important to you and you are interested in using your talents to help the WWFM build a permanent home in Cary, please contact Juliann Zoetmulder.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

3 garlic gloves, pressed or minced

28 ounces chopped tomatoes (you can use canned tomatoes, drained or fresh chopped tomatoes)

1 butternut squash (about 2 ½ pounds), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (8 ounces) mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms; cook 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook an additional 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low, add all but ½ cup tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.

Place remaining tomatoes on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Layer half of squash on top of tomatoes. Spread ricotta evenly with back of spoon over squash. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and half of tomato mixture. Layer with remaining squash, tomato mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.