Editor’s note: Farmers Market Ambassador Matt Rizzo works primarily at the Healdsburg Farmers Market while assisting at other markets as needed. He joined Petaluma Bounty in September 2023. He shares some of his background and enthusiasm for the position in this blog post.

Connecting people with healthy, local food

Hello, My name is Matt. I love working at the farmers markets and with Petaluma Bounty because I believe everyone should have access to quality food and feel there is lots to be done in order to connect residents of Sonoma County with healthy and local foods.

Managed various commercial farms

I have managed several commercial farms, ranging from indoor vertical farming to mechanized greenhouses to no-till organic farms, and have even led crews in Canada’s upper British Columbia, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories harvesting mushrooms for a company based in Burnaby, B.C.

Though farming has been fun, it is very tough work and it’s pretty hard to maintain a good living wage here in Sonoma County as a farmer of any kind (in my experience thus far). With that in mind, I am working on transitioning into related fields that I enjoy and will allow me to work with farms and with the goal of food security for all in mind. 

Agriculture must reduce harmful practices

Beyond my personal goals, I believe that agriculture/farming has so much room to grow (pardon the pun) in terms of conserving resources, recycling and reusing nutrients and moving away from a heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and salts. Limiting waste in food production and resources — most importantly, water — is key to helping curb our negative impacts as humans on the world around us. It may also be the key to our continued survival and prosperity as a species.

If you see this guy at a farmers market, be sure to say hi!