Vegetables on display at a farmers market

How Farmers Markets Build Healthier and More Equitable Communities

By guest writer Mary Moon Hernandez

If you’ve ever visited, shopped at, or gleaned a farmers market, you know that they are more than places to grocery shop—they are bustling community centers that are abundant with food, culture, resources, and caring people. Here is my story of how I became connected to Food Access LA, and how the organization is dedicated to building healthier and more equitable communities at Los Angeles farmers markets. 

It was 2018 when I left the corporate food retail world. I knew I wanted to continue focusing on my passion, which has always been food and more specifically, feeding people. I’d never worked in the non-profit sector before, but a dear friend of mine sent me the job description for a Farmers Market Coordinator and I felt like I had found my new calling. I’ve always enjoyed shopping at the farmers market from a pure foodie experience, the smells and tastes were always so fresh and enticing. As a family we’d shop at our local farmers market on a regular basis, and I have fond memories of buying tamales to sit and enjoy at the market with my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, and my son who was just a baby at the time. Farmers markets always felt like a safe space where you could easily find something for everyone. It had never even occurred to me that farmers markets were an intricate ecosystem supporting food and social justice.

I was fortunate to be hired on and quickly learned how little I knew about the nonprofit world and social impact of farmers markets. I learned that Food Access LA, formerly known as Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), one of Food Forward’s hundreds of partners, was a dynamic nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equitable access to fresh foods in Los Angeles County. Founded in 1991 by a group of passionate food advocates, the organization began with the Hollywood Farmers Market, creating a direct-to-consumer marketplace for local California farmers and food producers. This market has since grown into one of the largest Certified Farmers Markets in Los Angeles, setting the stage for an inspiring journey of growth and impact.

Building a healthier, more equitable community

Food Access LA has now expanded from one farmers market to eight vibrant markets, alongside four complementary programs that focus on food access and equity for all Angelenos. Their holistic approach to food systems ensures that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from fresh, healthy food, and comprehensive nutrition education.

Just as Food Forward is dedicated to Building Generational Health, at the core of Food Access LA’s mission is the commitment to fostering a healthy and resilient local food system while creating a more equitable and sustainable community. We achieve this through farmers markets and four other programs: Market Match, nutrition and cooking programs, urban agriculture advocacy, and “eat!” online ordering to expand food access. 

Farmers markets, community, and health 

Farmers Markets provide a bustling platform for local farmers and food producers to sell directly to consumers. These markets support small-scale agriculture, reduce food miles, and improve access to fresh, healthy food in underserved communities. It’s not just a market; it’s a vibrant community hub where connections are made and the local food economy thrives.

The Market Match program is a key benefit which matches customers’ CalFresh nutrition assistance at Food Access LA’s farmers markets and farmers markets throughout California, making fresh, local produce more affordable and helping ensure that everyone, regardless of income, can enjoy the benefits of nutritious, locally-grown food.

Farmers markets promote sustainability as they provide a place for farmers and vendors to sell locally grown produce and food. In Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Food Forward volunteers glean local markets to ensure that surplus produce goes straight to communities experiencing food insecurity, not to the landfill. 

I was fortunate to have been welcomed into an amazing community of people who work hard and care passionately about community and food equity. Now I have the honor of supporting all our markets and programs through my role as the Development and Community Relations Manager. My elevator pitch of who I am and what I do is much longer and intricate than it used to be, but my self-worth and pride in the work I do is priceless! I invite anyone reading this, who is looking for something good in our world, to visit your local farmers market, because together, we can build a healthier, more equitable future for all and it can be done with something as simple as buying a tamale to enjoy with your family.

For more information and to get involved, visit Food Access LA at foodaccessla.org. If you’re interested in volunteering to glean a farmers market, check out Food Forward’s volunteer calendar and Glean Team Leader positions for opportunities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. If you don’t live in Southern California but are interested in gleaning, check out the other gleaning organizations in California and the United States. 

Mary Moon Hernandez is the Development and Community Relations Manager for Food Access LA. She is a Los Angeles Native who spent seven years living in the Pacific Northwest and returned home to start a family of her own and be closer to her parents. Mary is a passionately proud Angelino and has worked in the food industry in one capacity or another since 2001. With over a decade of Corporate Marketing experience Mary is thrilled to bring her conscious business approach to the nonprofit work she is currently doing. When she’s not working on food equity, she’s enjoying a lazy day at the beach or taking a hike in the hills surrounding her home.