Altadena Urban Farmers Market Organizers Trying to Revive Event

The Altadena Urban Farmers Market, an underground market that ended in the spring of 2011 after several months of operation, could be revived, though possibly not in Altadena.

The market is in a contest sponsored by a Silver Lake nonprofit that would provide a "free rebranding package that includes a brand strategy, key messaging and logo system."  The nonprofit, Think Farm, is a design studio that specializes in print and web design.

The online contest will be decided based on the votes of readers (you can read about the AUFM and other entrants and vote here).

Justin Bilow, the chief organizer for the market, described the contest as "one of the pieces of the puzzle that could help us re-form the market."

The market has gone through major changes since its inception in October of 2010.  It was originally started by two Altadena residents, Gloria Putnam and Steve Rudicel, who live at the Zane Gray Estate.  

Putnam told Patch she has transferred control over the market to the Arroyo Time Bank, a local labor exchange group that works on community projects and hosts events around Altadena, Pasadena, and Northeast Los Angeles.

Bilow, a volunteer with the group who lives in Los Angeles, helped organize a garden exchange that helps local gardeners distribute their produce to the public.  He is now working on making the AUFM a regular event as well.

Bilow wrote Patch that if the regular event happens again in the future it may or may not be in Altadena.  He wrote, that he would like the market to have a "presence in Altadena if the conditions are right."

The original Altadena market faced a variety of problems and did .  Parking was a concern, and the wide interest in the event made it a challenge to contain it at the small space available at the Zane Gray Estate.

The group in a meeting last summer.

The biggest challenge for the event, is finding a way to make the distribution of food comply with the law: because people who sell or distribute food at underground markets like the AUFM are not always certified gardeners, bakers, or food distributors, complying with state and local laws can be a challenge.

Bilow said that the main focus of volunteers with the Time Bank and the AUFM right now is finding a way to hold the market in a "sustainable" fashion that will not run afoul of any local or state regulations.  He wrote that he believes the group is close to finding a way to do that and they are beginning to plan their next market now.