TO THE EDITOR: Nearly six years ago, the Bedminster Township Committee selected Larry Jacobs to serve as mayor.
One of his first initiatives was to create a farmers market to promote local agriculture. Mayor Jacobs, new Township Committeewoman Renee Mareski and the rest of the committee, valuing our rural character, wished to preserve open space by promoting the viability of local farms.
Profitable farms are an incentive to landowners to resist the lure of development. Rather than spend tax dollars securing open space deed restrictions, the farmers market aimed to highlight local growers and incent productive use of the land.
But something unexpected happened when Mayor Jacobs created the Bedminster Farmers Market. Not only did it become wildly popular, with over 1,000 visitors stopping by every week, it also became a social space. The market was suddenly the place to be every Saturday morning, a spot where you could share a cup of coffee with your neighbor while enjoying the fruits of our local agriculture.
During COVID-19, the outdoor market was one of the few places we could gather with our family and friends in person. Post-pandemic, the market is more popular than ever, serving as a place to catch up on children, tell stories and even walk our dogs.
Bedminster does not have a traditional town center, but the Bedminster Farmers Market has become our unofficial community square. With the creation of the Bedminster Farmers Market, Mayor Larry Jacobs, Renee Mareski and the Township Committee gave Bedminster a newfound town center and sense of community.
“Keeping Bedminster a Step Ahead” is not just a campaign slogan, it is the primary mission for our elected officials in all aspects of local governance. By always focusing on low taxes, a high quality of life and fostering a greater sense of community, Mayor Larry Jacobs and Township Committeewoman Renee Mareski have earned my vote, and I hope yours as well.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, let us re-elect both these leaders so they can continue to keep Bedminster a beautiful place to live and a bucolic destination to visit.
STEVE PARKER
Airport Road
Bedminster Township
Editor’s note: This Letter to the Editor originally appeared in The Bernardsville News.