Repotting: July

Community Comments

My Fair Lady

By Anne Gonzales

Becki Carlson’s life has taken more twists than a curly shoot on a berry vine. Twelve years ago, Carlson was a florist in downtown Roseville. But the Big C, 500 dozen roses and a string of street fairs ripened into the sweetest job she’s ever had.
    She’s director of the Placer County Strawberry Festival in Roseville, where tens of thousands of people stream in from all over the state to learn about, cook with, buy and, what is most important, gorge on the juicy harbinger of spring.
    The festival began as a free one-day event in Old Town Roseville and has grown to a three-day extravaganza at the Placer County Fairgrounds. Last year’s festival drew 63,000 strawberry lovers and raised more than $100,000 for 30 local nonprofit groups.
    “I love this job, hate the hours, but I can work from home and I get to choose the people I work with,”  Carlson’s words come spilling out. “And I love what it does for the community. It’s an investment in my community.”
    Carlson understands all about investing in things that matter. In 1994, when her youngest daughter was just 4, Carlson, at age 32, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was still the new kid on the block in downtown Roseville, having opened her fresh flower shop the year before. She was floored by the reaction of her colleague merchants and customers.
    “It was big stuff, stage 4,” Carlson recalls of her diagnosis. “Word got out, and my customers came in and offered to help out in the shop. The optometrist down the street was a breast cancer survivor, and she came and offered support. People who I thought were just acquaintances were sincerely offering to work behind the counter or help me with my kids.”
Continued...

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