Throughout the year, sometime around midnight, while the rest of Fresno sleeps, farmer Sonia Rojas begins loading her truck full of Cara Cara oranges in the winter and peaches and nectarines when the weather warms. Rojas and her family drive for hours before finally arriving at the Marin Civic Center just as the sun rises over the hills. 

The journey is tiring, but the joy she gets from working at the farmers market and creating an enjoyable stand for her customers makes it all worth it. 

“I like [the produce stand] to look nice, and for the people to be comfortable, and happy and dancing to [my] music,” Rojas said.  

For Rojas, farming and selling  produce at the farmers market is much more than a job—it’s a family and a way of life. For sellers and customers alike, farmers markets provide not only a community with a network of connections, but a source of local and fresh produce. Farmers markets and local farming have a unique way of bringing people together—by spreading joy, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and providing opportunities for small farmers to boost local economies. 

However, farmers markets are often underappreciated, as many people don’t fully recognize the benefits of local produce compared to commercial options.

The Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on educating people about farmers markets and is working to expand both its scale and reach. 

Zoe Kalbag, one of AIM’s market managers in charge of organizing the Sunday Marin Farmers’ Market, said she believes that people must understand just how impactful farmers markets are. 

“Food is such an important part of our lives, how we grow and how we think…Food is medicine. [It is] important to know where your food is coming from and also to value those people who are growing and producing it,” Kalbag said. 

An often undervalued aspect of farmers markets is their broader impact, offering benefits that extend beyond the consumer and producer relationship to promote sustainable practices. 

Joe Stewart, the teacher of Sustainable Agriculture (SustAg) at Redwood, underscores the significance of local markets in promoting sustainability. 

“[Farmers markets] are a really sustainable method, because you’re reducing the need for packaging, for transportation and all the fossil fuels associated with that, you’re also connecting people in a social way,” Stewart said.

Stewart also emphasizes the added benefits for both farmers and consumers. 

“There’s more care that goes into the preparation of the food and the growing of the food. It cuts out a lot of steps along the way that can take money away from the farmers who are producing it,” Stewart said. 

Kalbag felt similarly, expressing how transparency in farmers markets is an important part of the relationship.

“What people are paying for here is that relationship with their farmer and knowing where their food comes from, knowing that it’s organic, and knowing the whole process behind coming up with their food,” Kalbag said.

However, the true value of farmers markets extends beyond sustainability and higher quality produce, as they foster a sense of community and strengthen local economies. 

 For Sonia and Ramon Rojas, who have been vendors at the Sunday Marin Farmers’ Market for 32 years, farming has become their passion and life. The couple founded the Rojas Family Farms in 2010, a family-operated farm based out of Fresno. For Sonia, the most rewarding part of it all is the meaningful relationships that she has built over the years.

 “My regular customers come in; the kids and the family, for generations and generations. I’m very lucky because every week I see my customers; my family,” said Rojas.

Rojas works to foster this community, which brings joy and purpose to her work. With music playing and samples being handed out, there is never a shortage of smiles. One of Sonia’s main goals is to ensure that her customers enjoy the experience, no matter the sacrifice. They have built a reputation and community out of this lifelong experience, one that they are proud of and committed to maintaining.

The Rojas farm, along the countless other family farms found at the Sunday Marin Farmers’ Market, not only cultivates the local community, but the economy as well. These farms once formed the backbone of rural economies in the United States but have been disappearing during recent decades, being replaced by large and industrialized farms. The 2022 AGAmerica Agriculture Census found that the number of U.S. family farms is decreasing and has fallen below two million, the lowest since 1850.

 When these farms disappear, so do jobs. According to a research study conducted by the UC Davis Agricultural Economics Team in 2016, for every $1 million in revenue from smaller farms, almost 32 local jobs are generated, whereas the same amount of revenue from the larger growers creates only 10.5 jobs locally. However, the value of small farms goes beyond economies—they also play a key role in shaping how we grow, source and consume our food. 

As Kalbag previously noted, knowing whether your food is organic is essential. It offers potential health benefits by reducing pesticide exposure, increasing nutritional value and promoting a more sustainable food system. Stewart teaches these principles in his SustAg curriculum, focusing on agriculture in the long run. 

“The focus of this course is finding ways to do [agriculture] that are sustainable, and that are going to be allowing us to do agriculture ten years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now and beyond,” Stewart said. 

The vendors at the Sunday Marin Farmers’ Market, although not required by AIM to be certified by the California Certified Organic Federation (CCOF), many are. A CCOF seal indicates that the food was grown and produced in compliance with federal organic standards. Stewart’s SustAg course is also certified by CCOF and incorporates its standards into the program’s mission. 

“We’re certified by an organization called CCOF, and we also follow what is known as bio intensive farming, which has eight main principles. They’re all organic based, but the main ones include making sure the soil is well prepared as it allows for roots to grow deep, composting and growing plants as close together as possible so you can reduce land impacts,” Stewart said.

Beyond the curriculum and certifications, recognizing the impact of local farmers isn’t just about supporting their work, it’s about uplifting the connected environment that these farms provide. 

There are many different ways to support farmers markets and all the benefits they bring. Kalbag offers a way for Redwood students to become a part of this community through education and connection with local farmers.

“The market itself is a great opportunity to have those conversations…I would encourage people, when they’re coming to the market, to reach out to the farmers, ” Kalbag said.

AIM also created educational opportunities for students from kindergarten through high school to learn more about local farms and how to support them.

“It’s all about learning about the food system…I think this is just a great place to ask what [farmers’] experiences are and to learn more about your food from them,” Kalbag said.

Supporting this deeper connection between people, place and food is exactly what Stewart highlights when teaching his course and when reflecting on the broader impact of farmers markets. 

“[Farmers markets] create a nice environment where you can go and hang out on a sunny day and buy food, and that’s important as well. That’s part of sustainability as well. Sustainability isn’t just the environment, you also need to consider economic issues and societal issues as well,” Stewart said.