East Palo Alto celebrates community and health at farmers' market

Shopping for vegetables is rarely cause for celebration, but East Palo Alto's new farmers market has been so long in coming that it deserved the balloons and 10-piece welcome band it got on Sunday.

Some of the shoppers at the East Palo Alto Community Farmers' Market opening event had distant memories of a time when supermarket produce was local and abundant, but that was decades ago. When the stores left, the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes came to take their place. Families with cars started driving out of town in search of more nutritious fare, and the city's three distinct ethnic communities — Hispanics, African-Americans and Pacific Islanders — had fewer public venues in which to socialize.

"It's an exciting feeling," said East Palo Alto resident Starli Hampton, taking in the Mexican church band, the kids screeching in the bounce house, and the bright array of peaches, nectarines and cherries on the table in front of her open shopping bag. Behind her, market patrons from the neighborhood greeted each other with tight hugs and high-fives.

Click here to read the whole article written by Julia Scott of the San Mateo County Times in the June 1, 2008 online edition of InsideBayArea.Com.

Click here to read more about the successful grand opening, see photos, and learn how you can support this effort.

The East Palo Alto Community Farmers' Market is open every Sunday from 3pm to 6pm at St. Francis of Assisi Church, located at 1425 Bay Road (just 2 blocks from of University Drive).