Empty Bowls at the Farmers' Market

Every year, I shop for Empty Bowls at the Downtown Farmers' Market of Fort Pierce, this year held on Saturday, March 31, 2012. Can you guess who's next to me? That's right, Debbie Hawley, St. Lucie County School Board member.

Empty Bowls is one of my favorite special events at the Market. Art students create and decorate bowls, and sell them at the Market, with proceeds going to the Treasure Coast Food Bank to feed the hungry. Culinary arts students prepare soup for patrons who purchase bowls. The soups this year included breakfast soup, clam and corn chowder and carrot and ginger soup. Lots of fresh faces appear at the Market on Empty Bowls Day, including students, teachers and their parents. I love Empty Bowls Day! Thank you students and teachers for this great event.

St. Patrick's Day

The South Hutchinson Island Western Peninsula charrette was well attended on Saturday, March 17, thanks to a number of people who called and emailed to business people and residents throughout St. Lucie County. The diverse group included 2012 candidates for a county and city offices. Six team leaders presented their reports and all teams called for some kind of development on the Western Peninsula, including residential, resort, recreation and even a marine academy. Marcela Camblor of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Agency is shown wrapping up the charrette, with the six conceptual drawings behind her on the wall. In the second picture, I'm leaving the Downtown Farmers' Market of Fort Pierce with my market bag loaded with healthy vegetables. Later in the day, I worked at the St. Patrick Day Festival for the Downtown Business Association (DBA).