Santa Fe Living Treasures – Elder Stories

But times were growing ripe for Truman's special contribution to the community from his own knowledge and experience of the land. In 1968, a group of five families got together to sell their fresh vegetables in Los Alamos; the following year they moved their trucks to a church school parking lot on Agua Fria Street in Santa Fe. With Truman's guiding energy and vision, those first attempts at bringing the fresh produce of northern New Mexico growers directly to the public evolved into what is now one of Santa Fe's most vital and beloved summer rituals—the Santa Fe Area Farmers Market in Sanbusco Center, where dozens of growers congregate with delighted buyers of fruits, vegetables, flowers, wreaths, jams, pestos, and freshly baked goods every Tuesday and Saturday morning.

"If you just grow onions," Truman explained, "people can only buy so many. Some ranchers just take apples to the farmers market. But I grow five kinds of lettuce. You've got to know the varieties, what to plant, and what people want, if you want to make it a success. It's a skill, just like a plumber or a carpenter."