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During the past four
years I have produced a number of albums, each of which represents, in
part, the production and consumption of this popular event. "Vendors" is
one of these albums.
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For much of the 20th century the PNE functioned as a marketplace
bringing the suburban farmer producer together with the urban
entrepreneur / consumer for their relaxed mutual exchange of products
and ideas. Being both an annual, community, agricultural fair and an
urban amusement park, the fairgrounds provided
exhibition space for food production from family-based farming
operations.
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The fair is a venue for competition in which prizes were awarded for
excellence in categories ranging from livestock, milk, eggs and cheese;
fruits and vegetables; kitchen preserves and handicrafts. For an urban
public becoming increasingly more disconnected from rural life, these
competitions provided entertainment as well as insight into the issues
involved in quality food production, at the same time supplying a link
with those people and their animals who provided for their basic food
needs.
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