Behind the Scenes with the Farmers Market Vendors
Farmers put a lot of time, energy, and money into growing our local fresh produce. When we go to the farmers market, we all appreciate the beautiful displays of enticing veggies. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what goes on behind the scenes? Well, read on, as we find out more from two of our market vendors!
Our first interview is with Julio Mondragon, owner of Mondragon Farms in Arcadia. He just radiates his passion for farming and healthy living. He says the market starts with the first seed planted. What veggies will people want to buy? His crew harvests the veggies the day before the market. On Sunday, market day at Lakewood Ranch, he gets up at 4am to load the trailer with crates of fresh produce. Then he drives with his assistant 45 miles to the market. Mondragon Farms is also at the Naples Farmers Market on Saturdays. For the Naples market, he has to get up at 1am because the drive is about an hour and a half. Yikes!
Once he’s at a market, he has to set everything up. That means tables, signs, and many crates of produce. What makes a good market day? Good weather and lots of people! He feels it is important to him to donate food to our Farmers Market Recovery Program because he can feed and support more people. Times are tough for many, some have health problems, and everything is pricey. This is a way to give back to the community.
Another interesting fact is that Julio recycles tree waste from landscape companies and uses the mulch and ash to enhance the soil at his farm. That means that nothing goes to the landfill. Instead it goes to grow all the nutritious veggies you see at the market!
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Our second interview is with Ida VanDamme, Farm Manager of Honeyside Farms in Parrish. Honeyside is a Certified Organic Farm. They have a small crew of two people and harvest throughout the week. On Saturday, they make 20 stops delivering fresh produce to restaurants, making home deliveries, and meeting up at CSA box delivery pickup locations. CSA boxes are Community Supported Agriculture boxes (boxes of fresh seasonal produce that you order online and pick up at designated locations). This season, they have a new refrigerated truck, which has saved a lot of time. Produce can be stored in the truck without constant loading and moving crates around.
Ida gets up at 5am every day! On Sunday market day at Lakewood Ranch, she and the truck make the 45 minute drive to the market to arrive at 8am. With all the crates of veggies, tables, a tent, and signs, she likes to make sure she is set up well in advance of the shoppers. A good day for Honeyside is when the weather is nice and there are lots of people wanting fresh produce. Cold and rainy weather is not a friend.
Donating produce to our Farmers Market Recovery Program has been a game changer for Honeyside. Ida feels really good that the food is not being wasted and she is getting food to people who need it. Considering how much they grow, to them it’s a small amount of food left over at the market. That produce, that would otherwise be composted, is provided to Transition Sarasota. When you add all the vendor donations together, that little bit becomes a lot.
So here we have it, folks…the inside scoop on our market veggies!
Joyce Norris, Executive Director - Transition Sarasota