A quick trip to the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market

WRITTEN BY Colton Kobsar

While supermarkets dominate the modern food industry, farmers’ markets quietly provide something far more essential: access. Vendors who sell at their local market effectively bridge the gap for communities without a sufficient supply of healthy food. Though this may not be the case for Walnut Creek, more than 19 million Americans live in food deserts—urban areas where affordable, good-quality fresh food is hard to find. But access is only one part of the story; farmers’ markets also strengthen the economic backbone of the towns they serve. For this reason, the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market, even if it is not rewriting an entire community’s diet, still makes its mark by championing local business.

The Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market has been serving farmers, bakers, and many other small businesses for over 40 years. Every Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., dozens of vendors line Locust Street, selling various types of goods and handmade crafts to the public. The Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market, in operation since 1982, is one of the oldest farmers’ markets currently running in Contra Costa County. This market space advertises the work done by individuals in the East Bay community, all while having fewer barriers to entry than the atypical business ventures. For this reason, the market has seen a wide variety of products being sold on Sundays; specific varieties of goods are most commonly seen organized into their own zones. Subdivisions of the road are composed of the following vendor groups: prepared meals (think steamed dumplings or breakfast burritos), fresh produce, wheat and dairy products, and arts and crafts. That being said, the process by which the market operates is not as black and white as it may seem. Capturing the essence of the market merely through observation does not do the vendors justice, who work diligently behind the scenes to make this weekly event possible.

Julio, the vendor representing From the Sea to You, gave insight into what it takes to run a business. At its core, they buy the catch from the fishermen in Santa Cruz and sell it straight to the consumers at the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market. However, there are some caveats to the seafood industry. “Sometimes fishing is fishing and not catching … sometimes you get some stuff, sometimes you don’t,” Julio said. In that case, the business would have to substitute some would-be locally caught product with product from wholesalers. Doing so ensures that From the Sea to You can be at the market every single weekend, even if it does not prove to be a successful week of fishing. “…people want that consistency,” Julio said. Being resilient, specifically to the fluctuations in supply, is a virtue that Julio believes brings consistent success for the business. 

Across the way, Joshua and his crew at Ledesma Farms are up to less fishy matters. From carrots to cauliflower, Ledesma Farms has everything green and in between. Their massive array of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables serves as eye candy for passersby. To feed such a large customer base, productivity must be at the highest mark; that is where Joshua’s 20 years of experience in the family farming business has come in handy. That being said, with all this popularity, why not consider going into commercial farming? “It wasn’t worth it for us to do commercial… you get about $10 to $15 per box of peppers, compared to [the farmers’ market], you get $50 to $60 if you sell it to the consumer directly,” Joshua said. In pursuing this path, Joshua also feels that he has had the opportunity to connect more with the community. This passion for forming strong relationships with his customers and peers stems from his like-minded father. “It wasn’t just about getting produce and leaving and that’s it”, Joshua said. Today, Joshua and his colleagues at Ledesma Farms continue the family legacy, that is, the dedication to the values of customer service. Whether it takes the form of choosing the juiciest watermelon for a newcomer or diving into conversation with a tenured buyer, the goal remains the same.

The Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market offers a unique retail experience … It is a place to both taste and talk, a refreshingly stimulating atmosphere to kick off a Sunday morning.