Although it is instituted at an outdoor mall in the middle of suburbia, the Otay Ranch Farmer’s Market is a hotspot of culture, diversity and knowledge.
The stalls vary with locally grown fruits and vegetables, intricate jewelry and Japanese food that brings the country’s flavors to life. Each booth is unique and has a story to tell.
However, one thing these businesses agree on is the market needs more representation and promotion in the community.
“I think more people need to know about the farmers markets,” Dante Johnson, who works at the organic smoothie shop Greenfix, said. “I know some people who live in Chula Vista who have never even heard of a farmers market before.”
Tekera Massengale started selling authentic Kenyan jewelry and accessories at the farmer’s market recently, proudly spreading her culture to all who visit her booth.
“It brings the community to experience different cultures and different aspects of food and varieties of different jewelry pieces,” Massengale said. “I see a lot families that are so happy and it brings togetherness.”
Many of the booths have regular customers because of how well they take care of them.
“These markets are a good place to find a sense of community in a big city like San Diego,” said farmers market visitor Camilla West. “A lot of businesses are closing because they can’t compete with Amazon or Walmart, so it’s always good to step out of the house and just kinda enjoy the neighborhood.”
Wei Tan Holt, owner of El Captain Farm made it clear that vendors have to meet stringent federal requirements in order to sell at the market, including setting licenses from the Department of Agriculture and registering as an organic farm.
“It’s a very strict process, they actually came to my farm and checked everything and sent my fruit to the lab to test. They have to test that there’s no chemicals in my produce. We don’t use any pesticides, chemicals, or synthetic fertilizers. Everything here is natural.”
Holt said farmers markets often intimidate people because they are under the misconception that it is much pricier to buy produce there compared to Walmart or Vons.
“I always try to price at the level that’s below the supermarkets so it’s not only fresh and nutritious, they’re also more affordable,” Holt said.
Tina Vilar, a regular farmers market visitor, said some benefits of being face-to-face with the seller is bargaining for discounts.
“There’s not much of a price difference between here and a storefront,” Vilar said. “Only except you can ask for a lower price and ask questions about the products.”
The Farmers market runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at Otay Ranch Town Center.
