Farmers Market Comes to Town

The Brea Certified Farmers’ Market opened Thursday, giving shoppers an opportunity to buy fruit, vegetables and other items directly from about 25 growers and producers.

The weekly market is the first of its kind in the city and has been a top request of residents, officials said. In a citywide survey two years ago, a farmers market was “in the top five out of hundreds” of proposals, said Tim O’Donnell, assistant city manager. “Today is a solid start.”

Now in the Brea Community Center parking lot, the market will move next year to the redone, pedestrian-oriented downtown. The city has agreed to provide $62,000 in start-up money during the first three years, after which the market is expected to be self-sufficient.

“This will ultimately be a downtown event, but we first wanted to capture a time slot and get it moving,” O’Donnell said.

Officials estimated nearly 1,000 people attended the opening-day ceremonies, which included music and prize drawings.

In addition to fresh seasonal fruits and produce, shoppers could buy such items as free-range eggs and orchids.

“Farmers markets are becoming something people want in communities because of the fresh products that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Carolyn Olney, spokeswoman for the nonprofit Southland Farmers Market Assn., which oversees 20 Southern California markets including Brea’s.

“The food draws people,” she said, “but the fact that you can talk to the farmer who can tell you how he grew the tomatoes, or how to prepare dishes, or how to pick out the best artichoke--you don’t get that at other shopping venues.”

Some growers said the markets have become a way for small farms to survive.

“In our family, we’ve been doing farmers markets for 16 years, so they’re very important,” said Scott Peacock, who owns the Dinuba-based Peacock Family Farms with his wife, Lynda. “I’m impressed with this one, and I think it will work well here.”

The Brea Certified Farmers’ Market will be every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Community Center parking lot, 695 E. Madison Way.