SAN DIEGO FARMERS FIND NEW MODELS FOR MARKETING FOOD

Initial shutdown leads to deliveries; deemed essential, markets scramble to reopen with safety protocols

San Diego farmers devised inventive ways to get their produce to customers last week, as they struggled with confusing information on the status of farmers markets.

“Our farmers are adapting to an ever-evolving situation that we are all dealing with right now, so they are implementing a number of different creative ideas to get their produce to the market and get fresh, local food into the hands of our population,” said Hannah Gbeh, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

On Thursday night, farmers markets in San Diego received authorization to operate as essential service providers, along with grocery stores and other food suppliers. Earlier in the week, however, most markets had shut down in compliance with county limits on public gatherings, and information on their status changed almost hourly.

That uncertainty created turmoil for markets and their vendors, who hustled to sell their perishable crops. And it was distressing to customers who rely on the markets for fresh produce and other food.

“We had hundreds of people come out with shopping bags to get food, and many of them ended up in tears, because that’s their primary place to shop for food,” said Catt Fields White, director of the Little Italy Farmers’ Market, one of the largest in the county. “Many of these people are food insecure, they’re using Calfresh, and they have no place else to shop.” As customers frantically try to purchase food, some farmers are likewise laboring

EDUARDO CONTRERAS U-T Farmer Luke Girling inspects strawberries growing on his farm in Oceanside on Friday. Girling says they will be harvesting strawberries and selling them and other produce at his farm stand in the Fire Mountain area from 9 a.m. to noon over the weekend.