Chef Tristan Aitchison has shopped at the Santa Monica Farmers Market for nearly a decade. He still does so on Wednesday mornings, but he’s now buying less because his restaurant serves only takeout and has been forced to lay off workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Santa Monica Farmers Market is one of the nation’s premier grower-only operations, the grandfather of the four weekly markets run by the city and an inspiration for markets across the country. There are no tamales, coffee or kettle corn sold here. You’ll find only produce grown in the fields and orchards of the Golden State.Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries on display at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.Now, shoppers also find fewer farmers, more lines and a host of new rules.
The market remains a key part of the lives of vendors and customers like Mark Freund, who gets in line an hour before the 8 a.m. opening. For him, the waiting has become “a kind of meditative time.” With less socializing inside, Freund says a camaraderie has developed in the line. And he likes that the market is less crowded now.Manager Jackie Rivera-Krouse, right, and Kym Otterstedt survey the scene at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.
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