New Marina Bay Farmers Market is more than a hit — it’s a ‘home run.’

On a warm Sunday morning in November, Chao Dun, his wife Yumi Yan, and their toddler stroll through the Farmers Market at Marina Bay Park, where fresh vegetables are minutes away from their home. 

As Dun checks out tasty treats and colorful produce, Yen takes their son to the kid’s play area, offered every second Sunday at the farmers market. 

“The prices are comparable and affordable for organic fruits and produce,” Dun said. “And it’s not just a market, it’s also a social place for us.”

Vendors from all parts of the Bay Area come together here every Sunday to offer customers the freshest produce.

Bright red strawberries are displayed invitingly by the third-generation family farm Bay Fresh Berry Producer. A regular at farmers’ markets throughout the Bay Area, Cruz Herrera and his cousins were among the first produce purveyors to join the Marina Bay market when it opened last spring. 

Herrera travels two hours from the Salinas-based farm to Marina Bay, where his fresh strawberries are a favorite, selling for $12 for three packs or $5 for one pack. He said the strawberries sell better in Richmond than in Salinas, adding, “We get a little more money here than over there.”

The Richmond Certified Farmers Market, which has operated a downtown market for more than 40 years, opened the Marina Bay location in April. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, and the Civic Center Plaza site is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. 

“This amazing farmers market at Marina Bay is providing more food opportunities for our residents, thus helping to overcome food insecurity,” said Richmond Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin, who represents the Marina Bay district.

She mobilized with the food nonprofit Urban Tilth and the Richmond Certified Farmers Market to make fresh food accessible to the neighborhood. 

Currently, customers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cannot use their EBT cards to buy produce at the market.

Nelly Guiterrez drives less than 10 minutes to the market, fining the natural products there tastier than what she finds in grocery stores. 

“I buy most of my vegetables from Queen of Vegetables Organic Farm because they’re organic, natural, and not badly priced,” Guiterrez said. Although she thinks some of the fruit is a bit pricey, she said she doesn’t mind paying for quality. .

Aaron Coleman, Richmond Certified Farmers Market’s manager, said the Marina Bay market has seen slow but steady growth, with about two dozen vendors and around 400 customers on a typical Sunday.

“For a six-month farmers market, this is a home run,” Coleman said.

More than fruits and veggies

Zachary Celis applied for a spot at the market for his family’s Kei’s Specialties after hearing vendors at El Sobrante Farmers Market talking about it. His father, Armando Celis, makes a unique ube bread, whose main ingredient is the naturally sweet ube yam that he cooks into a jelly for eight hours. So far, the father and son have enjoyed the new market. 

“It’s a nice park here, and the breeze feels good. The people are nice,” Zachary Celis said. “It’s a new crowd and a new experience for sure.”

Vendors pay $43 per Sunday for a spot, although if business is slow, Coleman slashes the fee to help them break even.

“We want to provide accessibility to budding businesses and make sure they walk away with the money needed to provide for their families and growing businesses,” said Theresa Dixon, Urban Tilth’s administrative assistant in the market. 

Christen Brown has been selling a nutritional-rich plant called moringa since the market’s opening day.

“Food is medicine to the people,” said Brown, who also runs a website promoting foods that support the health needs of people with sickle cell.

At his stand, customers can get a moringa seasoning blend that adds a nutritional boost to home-cooked meals.  

Nearby, customers can find organic vanilla extract and essential oils at Lemur International Inc., run by Cherié Amour White and Carol Rakotomalala.

“We are Richmond women giving back to Richmond,” said White, who works through all the steps of production, from grinding the beans to making the extract to bottling the oils. 

As closing time approaches, the breeze picks up while vendors pack up for the day. Regular customers know this is when they can buy the remaining fruits dirt cheap. What’s left over, Coleman gives to a senior center. 

(This story was updated to correct information about EBT cards.)

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