South San Francisco, CA August 25, 2023 Submitted by Karl Sonkin, Kaiser Permanente
Fruit, veggies, and other healthy food available as Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco’s farmers market reopens following a pandemic shut down.
There were berries, broccoli, and big crowds at the Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center’s farmers market this week, which reopened after being shut down for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than a half-dozen vendors were offering healthy fruits, veggies, and more.
“Well, it’s great to have a farmers market here at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco,” said Craig Hou, MD, a neurologist, who carried a large bag of fresh pita bread from the Naan Tika table. “There are a lot of hand-made goods as well.”
Hou was shopping the market on his lunch break, looking at California Breads and then studying the organic fruit and vegetable offerings by Rodriguez Farms. The farmer was selling large boxes of strawberries, and Kaiser Permanente employees were seen buying multiple boxes.
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center opened the first farmers market 21 years ago after retired Kaiser Permanente Physician Preston Maring, MD, started sharing healthy recipes online. There are now more than 50 farmers markets at Kaiser Permanente medical centers nationwide.
The Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco farmers market operates on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the hospital at 1200 El Camino Real.
The SSF Orange Park farmers market opened – after a nearly 3-year hiatus – with a number of vendors and a small turnout of customers. There was a single farm-vendor offering Asian produce.
After the first week, several vendors dropped-out. We currently see a single vegetable vendor, but no Asian or Latin produce. Since many SSF residents use those items (saluyot/okra leaves, moringay, long beans, varieties of eggplant, chilies, squash blossoms, &c.) in their cooking, they are likely going elsewhere to do their shopping.
At this moment, coming up to three months along, the Saturday Orange Park market is entirely avoidable. The city’s staffers must do more to get a wider variety and larger selection of farm produce. It appears that the Kaiser market is not any better. I really hope that they can attract more vendors with a better variety.
My neighbor, the late Joe Fernekes often talked to me about the importance of a farm-to-resident connection. The present markets are a sad memorial to our former mayor.
I had to take my kid there one time when they did this it was tough to get around eveyone standing there, my kid had crutches.
I was wondering if there is a machine at the Kaiser farmer’s market to get cash from a debit card, since I am assuming the venders only take cash?
There is a machine for cash, but thankfully the vendors have square and take credit card and apple pay.