Four County Farmers Markets Endorse Glass

Council Member Evan Glass has announced endorsements from four Montgomery County farmers markets for his campaign for county executive. They are Forest Estates Farmers Market (D-6), Rockville Farmers Market (D-3), Olney Farmers & Artisan Market (D-7) and Takoma Park Farmers Market (D-4). The four cover a huge swath of Central County for Glass, the only vegetarian candidate in the race.

The roles of these farmers markets are noteworthy. Olney, supported by the powerful Olney Chamber of Commerce, is closely aligned with the county's top brewers, wineries, and distillers. Forest Estates in Forest Glen (Silver Spring), the first farmers market in a county park, hosts the monthly Georgia Avenue Bike Lane PAC social. Rockville is in the shadows of the Council Building and gives the city's downtown condo district weekly food desert relief. Takoma Park is renowned for having the highest population of vegans and vegetarians in the county, a critical progressive voting block for Glass, who introduced last October's Council Proclamation Recognizing World Vegetarian Day.

Council Member Andrew Friedson, one of Glass’s opponents, was endorsed by the Seneca District Salmon Fisheries Board, Montgomery Agriculture Preserve Ranchers Association, and Jimmy's Famous Seafood Restaurant at his kickoff event last month.

Glass's other main opponent, Council Member Will Jawando, was introduced at his campaign kickoff by County Executive Marc Elrich, who served on the Takoma Park City Council from 1987 to 2006. That would have given Jawando a lock on the progressive city's farmers market endorsement were it not for the Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School incident last year, where Jawando brought Cheez Whiz on Ritz Golden Butter Crackers and Nestle Nesquik to story time.

Glass's press release is reprinted here.