You've waited for it..... It's a Rant!!!!

OK .. a little background.  There is a building in downtown Davenport called the Freight House.  That's what its original purpose was ... freight came in on the train and went out on the train.  It was housed there.

For years, the city rented it out to a variety of businesses.  It has been so many pubs and bars.. I can't count them.  They open up.  They are popular.  They are no longer the "in-place". They close down. 

Over and over and over again.

A few years ago, the city went and rented part of the Freight House to our local farmer's market.  (Hence, the name ... The Freight House Farmers Market!)  The rest of the Freight House building became a sport bar, a comedy club, a fine dining restaurant and a piano bar.

You know the rest of the story .... they opened up.  They got popular.  They were no longer the "in-place".  They closed down.

Meanwhile ... the little farmer's market with 55 vendors grew.......... and grew........... and grew to over 200 vendors and hosts over 10,000 people on a Saturday morning.  The city took notice.

Now ...... they want to create the Quad-City Food Hub. (And for the record ........... I hate the name!)  So I went to the political/city/levee commission meeting.

Personally .... I love love love the idea!!!! But I so hate the political B.S. that exists in city, county, state and federal government.  I sat and listened to person after person suggest that we move slowly.  I sat and listened to people that wanted to put another bar in the building because it will create instant but unstable rent. And I sat and listened to a commissioner degrade the accomplishments of a city employee ........because they are on different sides of that political party fence.

But what really burned my butt was when the above-mentioned commissioner railed on the above-mentioned city employee about the list of things that have to get done.  Including another city park.

City parks are great!  Love them!  But city parks do not create jobs.  They are important in the big scheme of a city .... they provide great entertainment and add to the quality of life created in a city.  But many city parks are left to decay due to shrinking budgets and increased city needs.

Expanding the Freight House Farmers Market will create jobs, increase the availability of locally produced food, keep more money directly in our community and educate the public on healthy food choices.

Fortunately, for the above mentioned city-employee, he has the backing and the support of several hard-working farmers.

Farmers wake at 5 and end our work  day at 10.  We don't get hour-long lunches to sip martinis.  We don't have time to have intense debates on the virtues of local food vs.organic food.  We don't get to wax poetically about the lush-color of our green beans. And Lord knows, I don't get pedicures and manicures so I can be fashionable!

We are dirty.  We are tired.  We are over-worked and under-paid.  But we are passionate about what we do and how we do it! 

And the Q-C Food Hub will be a reality (although, I still think the name sucks!) cuz some hard-working farmers will join forces with the above-mentioned city employee.

I'm certain the above-mentioned commissioner ate three meals yesterday.  Three meals that some hard-working farmers raised.

Because we get the job done.

I rest my case!