When the last bell rings on Friday afternoon, signaling the end of 7th period, students soar through the hallways. Making their way chaotically to the front parking lot, teens, teachers and parents congregate. Amongst the chaos is the Sustainable Agriculture (SustAg) farmers market. 

The SustAg class attracts attention from many students due to its unique, hands-on nature. Those who take SustAg have the opportunity to volunteer at the monthly farmers market, selling produce grown in the Redwood garden to community members. The garden is an integral part of the SustAg class, providing certified organic food to the public.

This past Friday, Aug. 26, the SustAg class held its first farmers market of the year. The farmers market featured produce harvested by SustAg displayed on two tables facing the traffic-heavy front lot. Students stood behind the tables, ready to sell their crops. People from around school made their way to the market, picking out after-school snacks or produce to cook later that night. A particular fan favorite, the quince, puzzled customers as they tried to decide whether it was more closely related to a pear or an apple. 

Redwood students will have other opportunities to inspect the quince fruit and learn more about SustAg throughout the school year. The SustAg class plans to continue the monthly market all year, as was done prior to COVID-19. While one can’t fully capture the mystery of a quince fruit or the sweetness of home-grown honey in photos, here is my attempt at sharing with you the excitement that is the SustAg farmers’ market.

Gallery • 17 Photos

Offering a wide variety of student-cultivated crops, the SustAg market includes quinces, kale, honey, apples and flower bouquets.