The entire world is mourning someone who believed in the good of everyone, but at the same time, who made it clear she wasn’t a fool or a pushover. Someone who honored her hillbilly culture, even while she moved beyond it to mainstream Hollywood and even in her final decade, to even embrace her effect on rock music.

As someone old enough to be around during her determined rise, I am reminded that her universal acceptance over the last few decades was hard fought and not always a certainty. I remember in the mid 70s asking at school if anyone else watched her tv special and getting eye rolls from some of those rust-belt, heavy metal “heads.” I also remember the criticism leveled at her in music magazines for “leaving” country music when she began to cross over.

And if you know how Jane Fonda was seen by many middle Americans during and just after the Vietnam War, you can bet that Parton took a lot of grief about just being in 9-5, much less that the movie was attached to a movement for equality for working women.

She embraced everyone, from drag queens to motorcycle mamas, believing everyone just needed to be seen, heard and accepted.

She built a loyal team to help her in her work, although there was no doubt she was firmly in charge. Even so, she clearly trusted many to make decisions in her name, and in her absence,

Her philanthropy was visible, widespread, and yes political. Literacy, vaccinations, HIV AIDS, disaster aid are only some of the causes she supported. Even though she stayed clear of endorsing candidates by name or sharing her political party affiliation, it was clear she was a humanist first and foremost.

She communicated regularly with the world media with humility, grace and humor, and left behind thousands of stories of simple kindness from those who crossed her path directly.

In other words, her example is one that farmers markets should fully embrace in their quest to become beloved institutions.

To be like Dolly, markets can :

honor culture of all kinds.

have big ideas.

share the work and make others feel needed in that shared work.

not be afraid of criticism, even while remaining open to input.

build systems against inequity of all kinds.

not resort to mockery.

make everyone feel welcome.

be open to the new.

make all of it joyous.

and maybe a little sparkly too.