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Can farmers’ markets connect with low-income communities?

Organic vendor selling Early Girls tomatoes at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market on July 28, 2018. (Photo by Izzy Nesbett)

BERKELEY Calif.—The bustling farmers’ market on a Saturday morning has a sense of community and high spirits as people buy organic produce. As Arrous Lambert, a vendor for the Street Sheet newspaper said  “Berkeley people have the biggest hearts I’ve ever seen,” and encourages more lower income people to enjoy it.

People browsing through the Berkeley Farmers Market on an early Saturday morning. (Photo by Julia Hovet)

However, because all produce is required to be organic, few items are less than $5. The gentrified area surrounding the market allows for these high prices, and has begun to discourage lower income families from entering the community. With this in mind, vendors are hopeful the versions of food stamps such as, electronic benefit cards, and vouchers will gain funding to bring in more low income families. This will create a symbiotic relationship, helping them connect more with the neighborhood.

However, as Abel Estrella of Smit Ranch expressed, current grants for lower income families are spent too quickly on small amounts of produce because of high prices. Some argue that it is fruitless for them to go to the farmers market for a shopping trip, and there are other places that offer more for less.

The Ecology Center offers programs specifically for these families, such as Market Match and First 5. Despite their goals, the produce is too costly for them to receive a healthy fulfilling meal. The usual Market Match voucher is only $10, while the cheapest fruits at the market are around $5.

Similarly, the First 5 wants to help newborns to five year olds eat healthy within these early years of development, but again prices are too high. As one employee from Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) stated, “once those twenty dollars are gone, they will not come on their own”.

This has not gone unnoticed by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who aims to increase funding to these programs through the 2018 Senate Farm Bill. Several vendors at the market said, “Berkeley is more open to change” and people “need to dismiss the fact that the farmers market is for people with money.”

Flower vendor at the Berkeley Farmers Market delivering a positive message. (Photo by Izzy Nesbett)

Nonetheless, when observing the market there were no obvious differences or signs of hope with the introduction of the bill. Many fall into Estrella’s beliefs, who states that not much will change but does see many electronic benefit card holders for his lower priced perishable food.  

 

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Gabriel Farms remains true to its roots

BERKELEY, Calif. —  If you go to any two farmers’ markets, a lot looks similar. There are vendors with fresh food and smiling faces. At first glance, the Berkeley Saturday Farmers’ Market may resemble any other market, but the variety and different kinds of vendors sets them apart.

Three times a week farmers from around Northern California gather to sell a variety of products . Photo by Elliot Magenheim.

Starting in 1987, the Berkeley Saturday Farmers’ Market has evolved to provide customers with a variety of services. From massages to fresh fish and flowers, the market showcases its goods and services under the brightly colored canopies of more than 60 vendors.

Hundreds of people roamed up and down Center Street. Newspaper vendor Anthony King called out greetings to everyone coming through the main entrance. “You don’t want no boring life, you want a happy life,” he said in an interview.

That sentiment was echoed by Torrey Olson of Gabriel Farms   “I enjoy this” he said. He has been selling here for 15 years, and in all that time, he noted how much the

Torrey Olson talks about Gabriel Farms. Photo by Andrew Darell

farmers’ market had changed.

“I run my farm … not many farmers [who] run their farms anymore show up at the booths,” he said.

Not only is Gabriel Farms authentic in selling its products, but it is also different from the competition in terms of food production.

“We’re relatively small, but [we] manage space well,” Olson said. With only 15 acres Olson produces an almost unimaginable variety of produce from apples to freshly cut lavender. 

However, Olson isn’t the only vendor with a variety of products, and that is largely due to the work of the Ecology Center, which organizes and runs the farmers’ markets year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays around Berkeley. The center emphasizes sustainable produce and healthy living, which is reflected in the booths present.

Booths enter the market through a rigorous application process so that only the best are represented at the market. This provides a lot of choice for the consumer, though it does mean that some small farmers like Olson finds it difficult to compete. “Farmers’ markets don’t really make money anymore,” Olson said.

Vendors often struggle to make profits at farmers’ markets due to the high volume of competition. Photo by Elliot Magenheim.

Despite all this, Olson still has passion for his job.

“I’m still here after all these years,” he said.

 

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Berkeley market builds close relationships

BERKELEY, Calif. — The weekly farmers’ market downtown here, held every Saturday year-round, continues to provide locals and tourists with fresh goods and new relationships. The market, founded in 1987 by the Ecology Center, is a friendly and open area where California farmers spend five hours selling their organic and locally grown products to the community.

Fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market.
Fruits and vegetables are some of the many items sold at the downtown Berkeley farmers’ market, which is held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dante Kaleo, an employee for the Ecology Center, said that the farmers’ market sends “a very live vibe.” Kaleo also said that the farmers’ market is important to him because “I’m giving back to my community. This is my community, my people.”

Each week the farmers’ market will attract both old and new customers alike. Kristen Sidell, an architect living in Berkeley, visited the Saturday event with her children for the first time recently despite going to the Thursday and Sunday farmers’ markets many times before, and she said they had a fantastic experience. “It’s great,” she said.

The variety of the offerings of the 65 vendors is one reason that about 1,200 customers show up each week.

The vendors at the farmers’ market also add to the friendly atmosphere by being kind and chatting with everyone. Lupe Sanchez, a farmer from Aromas, has been selling herbs and spices for the past nine years. “You meet new people, build relationships, and talk freely,” Sanchez said.

Katie Coffman, a vendor here for two years, said, “I love coming to the farmers’ market because there’s a beautiful connection between the farmers and consumers. You’re seeing a product coming directly from the farm to the consumers.”

 

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What brings people to the farmers’ market?

BERKELEY, Calif. — At the corner of Center and Milvia streets each Saturday morning is the inviting aroma of fresh fruit, multicultural cuisine and friendly chatter. The Berkeley Farmers’ Market, consistent with the city’s diversity and individualism, is the perfect settling ground for vendors, shoppers, street artists, city officials and street people looking for help. Farmers, families, shoppers, bakers and more share space from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. What brings people here?

Dozo the clown at the Farmers' Market and her two most famous items, by Anna Levy
Dozo the clown at the Farmers’ Market,
Photo by Anna Levy

Dozo the Clown is a balloon street artist who has been coming to the market for three years. She was a “cultural refugee” from New Jersey who came to San Francisco to find her place, she said. She studied at New College in San Fransisco, with a thesis on clowns and their impact on society through American History. When she discovered she could find a job entertaining children, after teaching herself to work with balloons, she knew she had found her passion. “Everyone is so relaxed and happy to be here”, she says. Her once a week trip to the market pays $60 on average, as she works only for tips (and also accepts jokes). As not only a clown but also a poet, California was the place to be for her. “There is so much culture and acceptance in San Francisco,” she said.

Evalyn Carbrey, the City of Berkeley Health, Housing and Community Services program director, comes to the Farmers’ Market several times during the summers. Thanks to her close relationship with the Farmers’ Market, she is able to provide checks and food stamps to help underprivileged people eat healthier foods, such as the fresh fruits and vegetables sold at the market, she said. The campaign also encourages drinking more water and cutting out other drinks, such as sugary juices or soda. Her program, the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, works to serve pregnant women, new moms and children under five. This project is only possible  with the aid of the Ecology Center, which matches government funding.

Lucky and Sativa the cat at the Farmers' Market by Anna Levy
Lucky and Sativa the cat at the Farmers’ Market
Photo by Anna Levy

Sitting on the grass are Lucky and Shadow, a young couple selling homemade jewelry, notebooks and Tarot readings. They discovered the market by attending an event three weeks earlier and decided to come back each Saturday morning since. In order to have a station at the market, vendors must apply. However, Lucky and Shadow have yet to be confronted about their nearby location. “I’m not sure if we’re allowed to be here, but we’ll stay until somebody tells us to go away,” she said. Lucky is a disabled student, battling lupus while juggling both school and medical fees. While interviewing the couple, a vendor presented Lucky with a free peach. Lucky’s face brightened, and she told us, “We work at the farmer’s market, but we can’t afford to eat here. It’s nice to get fresh food once in a while.”