Farmers Market plants seeds for good health in Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo Farmers Market debuted last week with fresh and organic produce. (Photo courtesy of Stacey Angeloff)
Friday the 13th turned out to be an ironically lucky day for the Mission Viejo farmers market that debuted this Friday at the Civic Center.
The City is promoting the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Act, and the market supports this by providing locally grown fresh produce for both the health of the residents and the environment.
Keith Rattay, city counsel member, was the driving force behind the new market.
“I’m very excited about all the new and growing possibilities for emphasizing and endorsing healthy and active living for the residents of Mission Viejo,” Rattay said. “Hopefully this is just the beginning of more wellness and prosperous changes for our city.”
Over 31 different vendors participated in this event. Approximately 900 people turned out to welcome the new market to the city.
The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday, rain or shine. The event host live entertainment from noon to 1 p.m. Fortunately, the parking and admission is free.
The family friendly, open-air market stimulates all the senses through its variety of booths with its prismatic arrays of fresh and natural fruits and vegetables.
Also, the wafting scents of fresh baking pizzas and popping kettle corn was carried through the air. The tastes of cold pressed avocado oils, blood oranges and biscotti, textures of organically grown produce, and smiles from friendly vendors made the market an enjoyable place to be.
“We come out to sell our oranges because we believe that fresh and local markets can sustain cities, not just huge commercial grocery stores,” said Aaron Edison and Ryan Barlow of SunnyCal Farms in Riverside. “Plus it’s fun!”
The City of Mission Viejo hopes to become a healthier and more self sustainable, and the youth of the city are strongly encouraged to participate and enjoy in the benefits.
The city hopes to continue to expand the market, and possibly even double the number of participating vendors, expand the live entertainment to local artists and even have live cooking demonstrations from trained chefs in the upcoming year.
For any question pertaining to potential vendor participation or market regulations, please contact the Farmers Market manager, Verge Hagopian at 949-648-1033.
Also, attention all Saddleback musicians! For information regarding entertainment, or if you wish to be the performer, please contact Dru Maurer at 949-470-8440.