BERKELEY, Calif. — The Berkeley Farmers’ Market put up its first tents in 1987 to promote local, organic agriculture, sustainable farming and family business. Thirty-two years later, despite growing in size and popularity, their core beliefs and mission haven’t changed; the markets’ continue to tout a family-friendly environment brought together by more than 50 small businesses.
Kathleen Peterson and Barbara Winters, two friends who regularly shopped at the market, said they preferred purchasing groceries from small local vendors as opposed to supermarket chains, citing the freshness of the product and “[trusted] that it is directly from the farm.”
The two also said they find smaller businesses more trustworthy.
“I know it’s been grown yesterday or today, so it’s really fresh,” Peterson said.
Not only do shoppers favor small businesses, but also some small businesses prefer to stay small.
Sharon McCoy, of Bee Healthy Honey, says, “It works for us. If it gets too big, it gets out of control…There’s a pretty fine balance when you have a small business, where it’s just big enough to make decent money to support your family, or it’s too big and now it’s out of control … You either get huge or you stay small. The in-between is where you get in trouble.”
Bee Healthy Honey has been in business for 40 years. “Honey is one of those things where, in order for it to be good for you, you have to eat local honey,” McCoy said.
Blue Bottle Coffee, once an indie brand in the Bay Area, was acquired by Nestlé in 2017 and has since experienced a drop in customers in some parts of the country.
“They say that nothing is going to change, but I don’t know,” customer Christina Schnabel said. “Mass production and capitalism are inherently violent,” she added.
When her family expanded to sell produce to big corporations — including to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods — matters became stressful, Jessica Sifuentes of Kaki Farms said.
“We actually had to reduce due to budgeting for control,” she said, adding that it was difficult to keep up because most of their produce did not grow year-round.
“Definitely better to stay smaller,” she said.
The Farmers’ Market unifies small businesses and customers to create genuine, trusting relationships all-around.
“I’m recognizing more people that come around here every week, and some of the customers,” Winters said.