Ida's Gotta Have It

Dallas Farmers Market honors legacy of its No. 1 fan with special shopping bags

Ida Papert, or "Mama Ida," is a local legend at the Dallas Farmers Market. The tireless work of this long-time supporter — she started shopping at the DFM in 1953 and formed the Dallas Farmers Market Friends in 1991 — is a big part of why Dallas gets to enjoy fresh produce today.

Papert was more than just a shopper; she was a local matriarch. She could be found at the market every Saturday morning carrying her personalized bag that said "Ida's Gotta Have It," filled to the brim with produce. She delivered preserves to each stall, made from produce bought at the market.

She took this passion for the farmers and enthusiasm for the market and created the Friends of the Farmers Market, a nonprofit advocacy group. In 1993, she joined forces with the American Institute of Wine & Food to start the market cooking classes enjoyed by enthusiastic foodies.

To honor Mama Ida's memory and carry on her tradition of purchasing from each farmer at the weekend market, DFM has a weekly Mama Ida walk and is producing a special bag. The waterproof bag can support up to 135 pounds, and proceeds from its $50 price fund Mama Ida's Teaching Garden, a community garden cared for by local urban farm, Bonton Farms.

Shop the Dallas Farmers Market together and join fellow fans for a Mama Ida Walk every Saturday at 11 am. Meet at the information booth (look for the red tent!) in The Shed at 10:45 am or send an email to info@dallasfarmersmarket.org.

Gotta have your own bag.

Dallas Farmers Market Mama Ida weekend bags

Photo courtesy of Dallas Farmers Market

Gotta have your own bag.

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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