Reston Farmers Market Founder Responds To Fairfax BOS Recognition

RESTON, VA — Fairfax County Chair Jeff McKay introduced a measure at last Tuesday's board of supervisors meeting to invite John Lovaas to an upcoming meeting and honor him for his 26 years as the founder and manager of the Reston Farmers Market. The board voted unanimously to adopt the measure.

Each Saturday from early April to the beginning of December, the Reston Farmers Market brings hundreds of customers to the parking lot at Lake Anne Plaza to buy plants, fruit, pastries, produce and a variety of other goods from 37 vendors.

Lovaas was the subject of a recent Patch profile ahead of his final day as market manager, which took place on Dec. 2.

The same day the board of supervisors adopted the measure to honor Lovaas for his service, Patch had the pleasure of being the first to inform him of the recognition.

In response, Lovaas shared the following statement:

It is an unexpected pleasure to be here with you to accept
recognition for my volunteer efforts for Reston, my special home
community…. and for the folks who work so hard produce the finest
freshest food one can get.

When I retired from the Foreign Service nearly 30 years ago, we
settled in south Reston where we had a house as our base during a
rotational assignments in Washington, the headquarters of USAID.
Fran and I focused our attention on schooling for our three children
and getting involved in the community. I served on Boards of
several Reston organizations…including a two-year stint chairing
the Hunter Mill Democrats and then the Reston Association Board
with Bob Simon.

In this latter capacity, I had the good fortune to meet a group calling
themselves the The Friends of TOMATO, The Organic Market at
Talk Oaks. They approached RA for help creating a farmers
market. Debbie Sphrenz, their leader, asked for help promoting the
market at Lake Anne instead of Tall Oaks. Giant Foods, the anchor
store there said no dice, not in our parking lot. However, Lake Anne
Village Center, whose grocery store had closed and was pretty much
deserted was happy to try a farmers market. The Fairfax County
Park Authority agreed to sponsor the market.

Ms. Sphrenz also asked for RA to provide a manager for the
market. The Board was skeptical at first, but I asked if they wanted
a volunteer for the role. If so, I’d be happy to do it. That was in
1997.

On May 16, 1998, Robert Simon, Delegate Ken Plum, and Alfredo
Melendez, then owner of the Lake Anne Coffee House, and I
formally inaugurated the RFM at Lake Anne. We had 9 farmer
vendors that first year, 12 the following year. Today we have 35.

From day one community support has been phenomenal. And
Saturday mornings became lively like a beehive, and over the years
a crafts market has grown up on the Plaza, feeding off the flow from
the farmers market. Saturday mornings Lake Anne is the heart of
Reston. Our only constraint is parking, which I’m hopeful one day
the combined efforts of this Board and the energetic Condo
Association board will effectively address.

Our toughest year was 2020 when Covid 19 changed everything
while this county and the country struggled up the learning curved
of effective response. Our Market management team — my wife
Fran and Keith and Anne Strange and I — wanted to open RFM but
the Park Authority was initially reluctant to agree. We finally, with
community support, convinced them to OK opening as a pilot since
we were an outdoor activity and had proposed a full set of
procedures to protect shoppers and sellers alike. We roped off the
market except for two entry/exits, marked off 6’ separations, closed
entrances to vendor stands, required gloves and gallons of sanitizer,
barred music and or any “gathering” of people. Imagine in a FM!
And, we asked (but could not require) shoppers to wear masks
(Fran even made extra masks for folks who forgot theirs). I figured
this would be the most difficult measure to enforce and would be a
sore spot with customers. Wrong. Even though traffic for most of
the season ranged between 1,600 and 2,400 each Saturday, we never
had more than 5 or 6 shoppers refusing to wear masks!

In the end, it had required 6 volunteers instead of the usual 2 max to
herd and nag all the customers. But, we had recorded 64,100
shoppers in total. There were NO reports I am aware of anyone
thinking they might have gotten Covid at the RFM. Customers
thanked us for providing a place where they felt safe. Many said it
was the only activity they came out for! We all were proud of the
service we provided, and all agreed we never wanted to do that
again!

In closing, I must thank the people of Reston for their love and
support for the Reston Farmers Market lo these 26 years. You
always made me glad it was Saturday! Also thanks to the Park
Authority staff who’ve always been there when we needed them.
And, I have to tell you being the Market Master of the Reston
Farmers Market has been the greatest retirement gig I could
possibly imagine. My thanks to you all!