Patrick Fabian Retires from PCFMA Board

Patrick Fabian has retired from the Board of Directors of the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) after more than 20 years of service to PCFMA, including nearly 20 years as the Chair of the Board.

Patrick first joined the PCFMA Board in 2001 at the suggestion of his college friend, Al Courchesne, owner of Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood and a founding member of the PCFMA Board of Directors. PCFMA was excited to add Patrick, a practicing attorney, to the Board as legal and financial experience are key skills that nearly all nonprofit organizations seek.

At the time, nearly all of PCFMA’s Board members were farmers who sold in PCFMA’s farmers markets. Patrick brought a customer’s perspective to Board deliberations as well as a strong commitment to local agriculture. Patrick would often attribute his passion for farming to eating fruit directly from the tree in his backyard growing up and to his time in the Peace Corps that introduced him to farming practices in other nations.

Allen Moy, PCFMA’s Executive Director, expressed his thanks for the time that Patrick contributed to PCFMA. “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Patrick and I know that PCFMA has benefitted greatly from his contributions as a Board member and our Board Chair,” he said. “Patrick was always willing to apply his legal training to help me and other PCFMA staff members understand federal and state legislation and regulations and how those could impact our farmers and our farmers markets. Having that knowledge allowed PCFMA to better support our farmers, helping them to be successful in our markets.”

Everyone at PCFMA – staff, Board members, farmers, and other sellers – thank Patrick for his service and his leadership and wish him and his wife, Emily, all of the best in his well-deserved retirement.