Angel Gallardo III looks at himself in an engraved mirror for sale Saturday at the Farmers Market at the Mission Thrift Store in El Centro. (Dennis Jacobelli) |
Vendor and local gardening advocate Vince Zazueta was telling a customer Saturday about the merits of homegrown fruits by selling what looked like a tangerine.
“That’s an Orlando tangelo,” Zazueta said of the fruit he sold on behalf of an Imperial citrus grower. “They’re not grown commercially.”
Zazueta was among a number of vendors who showed up for the first-ever Neighborhood House Farmers Market that was held behind the Mission Thrift Store in El Centro.
A modest number of people showed up for the inaugural outdoor market that is expected to be a monthly feature, said Gloria Guerra, manager of the Mission Thrift Store, which is affiliated with Neighborhood House of Calexico Inc.
The agency is aimed at serving the needy in the Imperial Valley, particularly women and children.
Fourteen vendors came to sell their wares for the first-ever Neighborhood House event that had 19 spaces available, Guerra said.
Vendors were charged $18 to rent a space or pay 8 percent of whatever they sold, she said.
“This is more than half of what we anticipated,” Guerra said.
As the “bad economy” continues to be an issue in the Imperial Valley and elsewhere, the farmers market event will be adjusted to fit people’s needs.
“We’re trying to accommodate everybody,” Guerra said. “We’re going to have it once a month as the weather will allow.”
Arts and crafts were among some of the items that were sold, but as Crystal Miramontes learned most people wanted something else.
Miramontes helped coordinate the outdoor market.
“They’re looking for more fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Zazueta and a few other gardening enthusiasts who rented spaces were on hand to provide customers just that.
The farmers market is especially important since neighborhoods on El Centro’s eastside don’t have access to fresh produce as there are no grocery stores in the area, Zazueta said.
That’s why Zazueta promotes the idea of turning green yard waste into “brown gold,” as described on a banner Zazueta used at his vending space, for residents looking to eat more healthily.
“It’s just networking with people,” Zazueta said.
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
“That’s an Orlando tangelo,” Zazueta said of the fruit he sold on behalf of an Imperial citrus grower. “They’re not grown commercially.”
Zazueta was among a number of vendors who showed up for the first-ever Neighborhood House Farmers Market that was held behind the Mission Thrift Store in El Centro.
A modest number of people showed up for the inaugural outdoor market that is expected to be a monthly feature, said Gloria Guerra, manager of the Mission Thrift Store, which is affiliated with Neighborhood House of Calexico Inc.
The agency is aimed at serving the needy in the Imperial Valley, particularly women and children.
Fourteen vendors came to sell their wares for the first-ever Neighborhood House event that had 19 spaces available, Guerra said.
Vendors were charged $18 to rent a space or pay 8 percent of whatever they sold, she said.
“This is more than half of what we anticipated,” Guerra said.
As the “bad economy” continues to be an issue in the Imperial Valley and elsewhere, the farmers market event will be adjusted to fit people’s needs.
“We’re trying to accommodate everybody,” Guerra said. “We’re going to have it once a month as the weather will allow.”
Arts and crafts were among some of the items that were sold, but as Crystal Miramontes learned most people wanted something else.
Miramontes helped coordinate the outdoor market.
“They’re looking for more fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Zazueta and a few other gardening enthusiasts who rented spaces were on hand to provide customers just that.
The farmers market is especially important since neighborhoods on El Centro’s eastside don’t have access to fresh produce as there are no grocery stores in the area, Zazueta said.
That’s why Zazueta promotes the idea of turning green yard waste into “brown gold,” as described on a banner Zazueta used at his vending space, for residents looking to eat more healthily.
“It’s just networking with people,” Zazueta said.
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
