SLOW FOOD ORGANIZER T. A. WYNER
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T.A.'s great love and respect for farmers and produce hucksters in her family, naturally
led her to become an advocate for the preservation of agricultural land for small scale farming.
She is co-founder of Sunnier Palms, Inc., a Naturist community which encourages
vegetable gardening for residents and visitors; maintains an orchard of Litchi trees;
stewards a wildlife sanctuary; and propagates host plants for live Native butterfly displays.
For more than a decade, T.A. has produced and/or managed green markets in Ft. Pierce,
Palm Beach Gardens, Abacoa and Port St. Lucie, as the ideal venues for small scale
growers to direct sell. T.A. has focused on bringing local growers and local chefs
together to benefit them, as well as their patrons, with enterprising menus of the best
and freshest foods. Chefs have become a "signature" feature of markets produced by
T.A., most recently in the form of inviting chefs to her "Green Market Challenge". Just
before the market opens, chefs choose the freshest fish, eggs, cheese and produce and
then "take the stage" to demonstrate to patrons that fresh is best by creating healthy tasty dishes.
In recent years, T.A. worked with Varri Green Farm to produce a series of "farm feasts",
in which green market patrons are invited to tour the farm and stay for dinner prepared
in an the open air farm kitchen, by green market and/or Slow Food chefs and farmers.
T.A.'s vision for the farm feasts mirror her recollection of her family's farm, surrounded
by relatives and a bounty of great food. The concept of the farm feast was so successful,
the farm dinners are now scheduled monthly in the growing season.
T.A. is currently serving as Treasurer of the Florida Association of Community Farmers'
Markets, which was awarded a grant to survey Florida's green/farmers' markets and
hosted a visioning session to define the "Buy Local" program for Florida markets.
Among other community oriented work, T.A. co-produces the Art & Architecture
"History Alive" Tour, which has performed for the Florida Humanities Council and
produces the annual Santa Lucia Day to celebrate Florida's Spanish discoverers, the
vegetables farmed by Florida's Native Americans, the bounty of seafood in the era of
discovery and the food (including animals) introduced to the area by the Spanish discoverers.
T.A.'s constant study of consumers reveal their demand for the freedom to eat what they
want, including, fresh eggs, sprouts, raw honey, milk and cheeses, as well as range fed
chicken, beef, venison, goat, etc. In pursuit of that freedom, T.A. lobbies government
agencies to recognize the consumers' growing demand for locally produced food and to
support small scale growers.
The greatest challenge to T.A.'s life-work to preserve agricultural land is development.
The greatest challenge to development is a public educated to the economic,
environmental and health benefits of buying local foods, who recognize the need to limit
development in order to feed our families and community the best and freshest foods.

Phone (561) 756-3600

E-MAIL T. A. WYNER
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