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Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association Page 5 fruit tends to command a price premium of S0.50 to $1.00 per pound over conventionally -grown stone fruit. The coming seasons will determine if shoppers at the Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market who have requested these products, are willing to pay the price premium to provide sufficient support to these producers to maintain their participation in the market. In the non - agricultural portion of the market, there was likewise a good product mix. There were several bakeries with breads and pastries, a producer with sorbet, Coastside Farms with smoked fish, Home Maid with ravioli and olives, East and West Gourmet Foods with bolani and Afghan spreads, and India Gourmet with samosas and sauces. Additionally, there were a number of hot food vendors including BBQ, gyros, baked potatoes, and African cuisine. In 2011 we hope to find a producer of jams and preserves to help complete this mix. Growing the Partnership with the San Leandro Downtown Association When PCFMA first entered into its formal agreement with the City of San Leandro to operate the farmers' market, PCFMA promised to "seek out opportunities to join local organizations such as the San Leandro Downtown Association or the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, and seek ways in which a partnership with these organizations can benefit the farmers' market and the community as a whole." The partnership which has developed between PCFMA and the San Leandro Downtown Association has been one of the pleasant surprises of the past three years and has far exceeded anything that PCFMA could have anticipated in January, 2008. In the next three years of the market's operation, PCFMA hopes to expand upon this partnership to better support the common goals of the San Leandro Downtown Association and the Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market. One of the most meaningful ways for the farmers' market to support the San Leandro Downtown Association may be to become a formal sponsor the association's most visible event, the Sausage and Suds Festival held in early October each year. In addition to providing support for the San Leandro Downtown Association, the sponsorship would also help to provide additional visibility to the Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market among the festival's attendees. Some additional options for expanding the partnership between the market and the San Leandro Downtown Association might include devoting market resources to underwrite costs related to services currently provided in- kind by the San Leandro Downtown Association such as on -site storage. Another option may be to use market resources to provide greater visibility to the San Leandro Downtown Association, recognizing their contributions to the market organizing popular market events such as the monthly wine tasting and the musical performances. Supporting Market Ambassadors Over its first three years of the operation, the Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market has benefited greatly from the regular presence and participation of a city representative at the market's information booth. The participation of Caryn Wegerbauer, and her surrogates on those few weeks when she was unable to be present, as market ambassadors provided a consistent face and voice to the farmers' market. It is understandable in the current strained economic climate that this type of regular presence in the farmers' market by a city representative is likely not sustainable. Instead, PCFMA proposes to recruit and retain a market ambassador, likely on a contract basis, to be present at the farmers' market on at least half of the market days in the coming years. This would allow the City of San Leandro to reduce the number of weeks during which a city representative is present by half. One possibility to support this new market ambassador is to approach the San Leandro Downtown Association for assistance in recruiting candidates or to seek a candidate who might be able to share his or her time supporting both the Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market and other downtown activities organized by the San Leandro Downtown Association. Regardless of how the position is organized, the goal would be to engage an individual who would have a regular presence at the farmers' market information booth, who would help to recruit local participants for the Merchant at the Market and Community at the Market programs, and who would help to ensure that customer feedback,