Farmers' Markets Serve as Community Gathering Places

As stewards of rural America and providers of fresh, nutritious food to millions of people in both urban and rural areas, farmers not only invigorate regional economies and improve community health, they strengthen the social fabric of communities.

So says Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To honor farmers and the markets that have become a fresh food mainstay in communities across the country,Vilsack has designated the second week in August as National Farmers Market Week. 

This year marks the 12th annual observance of National Farmers Market Week. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, the number of farmers markets has grown 150% since 2000, from 2,863 markets to 7,175 in 2011 nationally.

In the Bay Area, approximately 70 farmers markets take place each week. Most are operated, promoted and supported by the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA).  Monday is the only day off.

“I work four markets a week, and I do it all—from problem solver to bottle washer,” said market manager Tom Nichol, a familiar face at the San Mateo and Belmont markets in his signature yellow PCFMA shirt and baseball cap.

Of course, his duties extend beyond his role as ambassador and vendor/customer liaison; he must maintain a balance of grower/product mix, while ensuring that the farmers all comply with the various governing agencies, such as the San Mateo County Agricultural Commission.

So what exactly "certifies" farmers and allows them to sell at a market? According to the PCFMA website, under California law, farmers may only sell directly to consumers — rather than middlemen, retailers or resellers — only at the point of production or in an area certified by a county Agricultural Commissioner for sale of farm products. Additionally, only California-grown agriculture may be sold in a Certified Farmers' Market. These agriculture products include fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, herbs, berries, eggs, flowers, nursery stock and honey.

The Sunday Belmont market, held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Caltrain parking lot, is more than just a place to pick up fresh produce. It’s become a hub of social activity and non-profit outreach, providing residents with live music, as well as a place to pick up recipe ideas and tidbits on nutrition and sustainability.

Clasping a bouquet of sunflowers and kangaroo paws which extended about two feet above her head, 6-year-old Sanaa Zafarullah announced, “They are for my mommy!”

Sanaa and her father, Khaja, are regulars at the Belmont market.

“I believe in buying local and organic and supporting the small farmers,” said Zafarullah while balancing bags full of assorted produce.

“We like to buy seasonable fruits and vegetables.” Pointing at Sanaa he added, “And flowers whenever she wants. We will go home and have a pot luck dinner with some neighbors using the ingredients we bought here today.”

And items abound at the farmers market that can't be found at a grocery store, including "the Asian farmer down there who sells wonderful greens you can’t find anywhere else," he said. "Farmers’ markets serve ethnic populations, who normally wouldn’t be able to find some of these items."

The popularity of market however doesn’t always guarantee a decent profit for farmers who rely on many factors including weather and economic conditions to succeed in the marketplace.

Terry Andreotti of in Half Moon Bay sells at markets in Belmont, San Mateo, Sunnyvale and Montclair. Her family has been planting, harvesting and selling row crops (beans, squash, onions, chard, kale, leeks, parsley, beets, etc.) since 1926.

She explained some of the economic and political struggles of small farmers.

“We have 80 acres next to the ocean on Kelly Street in Half Moon Bay," she said. "We don’t make any money selling to the commercial markets. And because there is no tax break for small farmers, many of the old farms are struggling to survive.”

The unseasonably cool and wet spring and summer has also had an effect on crops. The same weather pattern mounted a problem for farmers in the 1960s.

“It’s great for Brussels sprouts and artichokes, but we’ve lost lettuce and tomatoes because of all the moisture," she said.

The time a farmer spends at his or her stand at the market is a mere sprout in the enormous field of a farmer’s day.

Abel Fernandes of Fernandes Flowers Growers in Watsonville is a second generation farmer whose market days starts at 4 a.m. “I’m at the greenhouse by 4 to cut the flowers so they are fresh for the market, and I am on the road by 6.” 

Fernandes, whose favorite flower is the fragrant tuberose, works 10 markets a week. On Wednesdays he sets up his stand in a burst of magnificent color at the San Mateo County Expo Center market, where he stays till 2 p.m. Then he heads to the Upper Haight market in San Francisco from 4 to 8 p.m. “I get home about 11 p.m., then get up and do it all again on Thursday.”

The weather has had an impact on his flower crops, he said: “We lost a crop of sweet peas this year, and the sunflowers are getting spots due to morning fog and afternoon sun.”  

Equal parts farmer and educator, Fernandes is happy to part with tips of the trade, such as using rosemary as a natural deer repellent, or marigolds to keep flying insects and gophers at bay. “And cornflowers (also known as bachelor buttons) are edible and look beautiful in salads,” he added.

Some communities opt to host their own farmers’ markets, operated by a non-profit organization or other entity.

The San Carlos Chamber of Commerce runs “Hot Harvest Nights” every Thursday from May through September along the 700 block of Laurel Street. In addition to agricultural stands, it offers a variety of specialty food booths, live music and local business displays.

The chamber opted to host its own farmers’ market as a way of raising funds, said employee Charmaine Hope. Due to city budget cuts, the chamber does not get the financial support it once did.

“This is our first year of dealing directly with the farmers and vendors,” Hope said. It’s been successful and business definitely picks up when the weather is warmer.”

In addition to staff, a chamber member, known as an ambassador, mans the booth to answer questions and hand out information.

As an essential part of California’s agricultural economy, the Bay Area farmers’ markets provide opportunities for small family farms to sell the fruits of their harvest. At the same time, they serve an important social purpose -- as a community gathering place where neighbors can stroll, chat, eat -- and do it all over again next week.