14 Mar Farmers Market Coming to Marina Bay

A child points at produce as he and his family shop at the Richmond Certified Farmers Market at Civic Center Plaza.

Story and photos by Denis Perez-Bravo

Farmers from Stockton to Fresno have been coming to Civic Center Plaza every Friday for over 40 years to provide fresh, organic eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and other goods at the Richmond Farmers Market.

Soon, they will start setting up shop in Marina Bay as well.

The Richmond Certified Farmers Market Association, which established the original market in 1983, will host a new one Sundays at Richmond Marina Bay Park starting April 7. It will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Organic food is healthier, and it’s good that it will be more accessible to us,” 48-year-old Richmond resident Alicia Gonzalez said at the Civic Center market on a recent Friday. “It’s going to be better. The Richmond Marina will be closer to where I live.”

>>>Read: An Explosion of Taste – My First Time at a Farmer’s Market

She has been shopping at the Richmond Farmers Market for weeks now. It is located on Barrett Avenue between 23^rd and 24^th streets and open Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I’m constantly looking for healthier recipes,” Gonzalez said.

After her husband was diagnosed with liver disease, she started watching her family’s diet. Shopping at a local farmers market has helped her with that, she said.

>>>Read: ‘Food as Medicine’ Event Offered Healthy Focus

Aaron Coleman, the Richmond Farmers Market manager for 10 years, said he will also be in charge of the Marina Bay Park site.

“Some of the same farmers will sell there, but we will have new farmers and vendors also,” Coleman said. Additionally, a flyer for the new market says it will feature “multi-cultural vendors.”

Coleman advises new shoppers to bring cash as many of the farmers do not have debit or credit card readers.

The Marina Bay Park market will also accept EBT cards, but the market match program provided by Fresh Approach at the Friday farmers market will not be available to start.

“We have a $15 match,” Fresh Approach staff Ellen Olack said. “So every week, folks who receive EBT can take out money from their EBT card to use directly with our farmers, and we give an additional $15 incentive to help out.”

>>>Read: Program Helps Low-Income Seniors Get Healthy Food

Fresh Approach says it will be unable to do a match at the Marina when the market starts but hope to be able to if there is a need.

“If you want to see a market match at the Marina, make sure you go shop there and say it to Aaron, the market manager, so we can set up there,” Olack said.

Shoppers who want to benefit from the market match program can go to the Fresh Approach booth at the Friday farmers market to present their EBT card and receive a $15 bonus to spend.

The program is expected to be funded for all of 2024, Olack said.

“On a personal level, [I know] how important market match is. A few years ago, I actually received EBT and was going to farmers markets,” she said, “and doubling my money for food purchases was huge.”

For more information about the Marina Bay Farmers Market, call (510) 406-1360 or email chkheart@aol.com.

For the Record: While the Marina Bay Farmers Market was expected to open sooner when this article was originally published, a new press release on April 3 confirms it will open April 7. The date has been changed in the story to avoid confusion.