The South Park Farmers Market is Here!
The eagerly anticipated South Park Farmers Market made its debut on Saturday, July 29th on Grand Avenue between 11th and Olympic. Booths spanned almost the entire block, about what you’d expect for a neighborhood market with local offerings. Neighbors were steadily buzzing in and out all morning, stocking up on produce, and checking out what kind of goods they can expect weekly.
As a farmers market regular, I was thrilled to have one so close and couldn’t wait to see what Farm Habit SP had curated for us. Approaching visitors were greeted warmly by singer and guitarist Lamayah (@lamayahmusic), covering our favorite melodies. There were a few produce vendors that sold all your kitchen staples: lettuces, tomatoes, micro greens, and such, including some berries. The assortment didn’t have any offerings for the more curious palate but I’m hopeful the vendors were testing initial demand. Everything came direct from local farms. The market also offered a few prepared food vendors. Brother’s has been a staple at every Los Angeles market, and I was happy to see they joined the event. I recommend trying an assortment of their hummus. Pre-made Pasta to cook at home was also on site, great for an easy, healthy week-day dinner.
There were some exciting and unique vendors on site. El Bandido Coffee Co roasts “booze coffee” (without the alcohol content). They age their beans in old liquor barrels, which I’m excited to try on my next visit when they start offering brewed coffee on site. There was a dumpling and a tamale stand with bites to eat on site, and my friend Jay from Iowa was particularly excited about the corn on the cob that came with various toppings. Additional vendors included baby succulents, jewelry, and a popup clothing boutique, Beso del Sol. They even had a cornhole game for those looking to hang a while.
What I found pretty cool was that market organizers put up a wall for visitors to add stickers on improving the market. Having an on-site composting option was a popular answer, however for those of us living in residential buildings it’s already required by law. It’s still a great option to have though as this has been a slow roll-out. There were boxes to check for things like kids’ activities, cooking demos, and the type of vendors we’d like to see more of.
If you haven’t visited the Farmers Market, it’s something you won’t want to miss! They’ll be back every Saturday from 9-2 and you can follow them for updates at @farmhabitsp. See you there!
By Aileen Coyle