05 Sep Fresh ‘Produce Is In Full Swing’ at Richmond Farmers Market

Photo Essay, David Meza

Deemed an essential service, the Richmond Certified Farmers Market has been open every Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It was established in 1984, making it one of the oldest markets in the East Bay offering farm fresh produce. Over the years, the market has established many loyal customers who come buy freshly picked produce every week.

On Aug. 28, I came right at opening to shop for some fruit to share with my staff, and I stuck around for about two hours, watching how busy it was. People moved in waves. It seemed that because most of the shoppers come often,  they had a pretty good sense of how to keep space with each other. To keep things moving some sellers also picked and pre-bagged items  for people. The market even has staff there to help with the flow of things and make sure people adhere to the guidelines set by the state, county and city. With the limitations that COVID-19 has brought to shopping, it’s nice to have something in the community staying consistent that is healthy.

>>>Read: Coronavirus Affecting Local Food Scene

The season has brought a large variety of goods straight from nearby farms.

“Summer produce is in full swing,” said Paul Brown, one of the market organizers. “We have farm fresh watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, corn and even honey that was produced locally only blocks away … a large selection of Asian greens that were only picked hours ago.”

With a lot of people still out of work, it is surprisingly affordable to get a few bags of food for the week that can keep you healthy and hopeful that things will get better soon.

The market is operating with a reduced number of vendors, but Brown said the market hopes to get more back as soon as they’re allowed.