Immediately when we arrived at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market, I was drawn to the guitarist performing the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling". I wandered over and found myself standing next to two children who were just as mesmerized by the music as I was. I glanced up and took it all in: the sight of raw foods being sold in the aisles surrounding me, the smell of breakfast and lunch being prepared a few aisles down, the sounds of not only one but three musicians, the countless interactions with everyone in the market.
As I strolled up and down aisles, I paused at a jewelry stand and struck up a conversation with the vendor. He told me all about the history of DIY crafts and farmers' markets. What caught my attention, however, was his explanation of why he chooses to participate in the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market every week. He explained that all of the different vendors actually help each other out with sales. To make sense of this, he had me imagine him selling watches alone on a street corner. The vendor explained that if someone doesn't need a watch, they won't stop and look. At a farmers' market, however, people come for all different products. If someone comes looking for a mug and passes by his watch stand, that person would be more likely to come in and look. Just like participatory music, in a farmers' market, the more participation the better the outcome.
In a later Q&A session with the director of the market, we were told that there is a special emphasis placed on helping each other out. When selecting the vendors who participate in the market, says the director, they prefer vendors who use local ingredients. Due to a common value placed on a local, home-grown connection, the Bloomington Farmers' Market can be considered a pragmatic form of concert.
Similarly, vendors often benefit from the presence of musical acts because people are drawn to the music. That being said, vendors commonly strive to get a spot next to musical performances. Additionally, music connects children with adults because both children and adults enjoy the performances. The musical acts at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market add a participatory aspect to the market because typically anyone is welcome to join in and the lack of a stage hinders the distinction between the audience and performer.
As I continued to wander through the market, I noticed how diverse the market was. There were people of all races and ages. We stopped to sample some maple syrup and began to talk to the vendor. Surprisingly, he was a high school student. I had always figured that people of all ages attend farmers' markets, but never imagined people as young as I could sell their products at a farmers' market. One aspect of participatory music is that everyone is expected to participate regardless of age. The farmers' market reflects this aspect of participatory music.
After speaking with a few more vendors, I found it reasonable to conclude that The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market stimulates social bonding. Every vendor that my group and I spoke with told us that they have become friends with most of the other vendors and many of their customers. The man at the jewelry stand even told us that his customers often ask about his family and he asks about theirs.
There is a reason people return to the market every week: the combination of music, food, art and politics at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market builds a strong, participatory community that feels safe and friendly to those who engage.
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