The Oakland Farmers’ Market debuted to an enormous success on a brilliant June Saturday in 2012.
The parking lot was filled and refilled as people came to participate in the launch of Oakland’s own farmers’ market, and things can only get better through the summer and early fall.
For those that missed the launch, the Oakland Farmers’ Market will be running every Saturday from 9am to 1pm through October. New vendors are still being added, and featured artists and music will be changing weekly.
The vision of an Oakland market has been a topic of conversation for years, but in a just a few months time three Oakland women brought a dream into reality. Salma, Jane, and Tracy took an idea, created a vision, and on June 30th they debuted the the farmers’ market to over a thousand visitors between 9am and 1pm.
When asked to comment on the outcome of the first Saturday of many to come, Tracy DiTolla and Jane Graham stated “We want to thank everyone so much for coming out and making today a big success! This type of community support is exactly why we knew a farmers’ market would succeed in Oakland! This week ShopRite came and distributed produce from NJ Farms which we have listed on our website. They also offered it at a lower price than in their store and donated crayons, paper and bubbles to the kids craft and play area. Almost all of our food vendors sold out everything they brought. In the coming weeks our free recipes will be written for the market by Tess Tripodi, Executive Chef of Ocean Grill in Manhattan.”
Farmers’ markets have exploded throughout the nation, with over 7,100 active farmers’ markets across America. This is an encouraging sign in an age where food is becoming more commercialized, the amounts of pesticides increasing, and American children suffering from a myriad of physical ailments related to poor diets.
In Oakland, the atmosphere offered a sense of nostalgia that older residents recognized and children sensed. It was a cornucopia of products raised with respect, made with passion, and hopefully consumed with love by the many patrons who ventured down to the Oakland Farmers’ Market situated right off Ramapo Valley Road near the Oakland Library.
Farmers’ markets in America started for very practical purposes in moving fresh produce to areas under-served, but in the 21st century it is obvious that their purpose has expanded to fill the gaps of modern communities. The Oakland Farmers’ Market followed in this trend by incorporating not only fresh, locally produced products, but an array of cultural presentations that included artists, instructors, non-profits, and live music.
It was a real community event as older residents could browse the collection of vegetables, jams, plants, pickles and pork, and appreciate the craftsmanship of hand woven clothing, soaps, and a sense of community that too often exists only in our imagination.
The children of Oakland were able to experience in real life what they normally only learn from television shows. That in reality food is something nurtured and valued, that people can weave their own clothing, that art is something adults also enjoy, and that old people have no monopoly on nostalgia.
Farmers’ markets raise an interest in food beyond the Disney shapes and the Happy meals for children, and the provide adults with a celebration of the senses and local community. They cultivate an appreciation between the rural past and the suburban present. They bring us back to our roots, our fundamentals, our raw humanity.
Photos by Robert Beischer. Click here to see more photos of the Farmer’s Market by Robert.
Introducing The Farmers’ Market