FARMERS' MARKET ON 3RD STREET (9/6/07)
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In the early 1980's the Farmers' Market really provided a good service to all San Franciscans. For sure the one now held on Saturday's on Alemany, the one held on Wednesdays at the United Nations Plaza, the one found by the Ferry Building all bring thousands of customers and many vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and other products like jams, bread, juices, honey, and so on.
On Wednesdays it has been some months now the SF Department of Environment and one Annie Eng is behind a fake Farmers' Market - the stalls some five or so sell poor produce and is a slap on the face of the community at large. The Farmers' Market is held on 3rd Street and Palou not far from the Bayview Opera House. Thousands of dollars are set aside to put this Farmers' Market together - money got from fines imposed on George Forman and his misfortune with this grill equipment that had some small defect. Other, grant money that is used a little at the proposed Farmers' Market on 3rd Street and more in the pockets of folks like Annie Eng to carry out other dubious projects. I have not attended all the days the Farmers' Market has been held at 3rd Street but the few times I did visit the fake market - the produce was not fresh and some of it seemed to be stale. Fresh produce is fresh produce and I suppose only some one that understands produce - understands this pertinent and basic fact. The Palou Plaza is few hundred feet from my office and it is not a pretty place. Most of the times you have some mentally challenged people sleeping in this place. Urination and other types of filth are found on this site. Inebriated folks will attack you and if they do not like you - take you on. It happens all the time. In fact, every single Wednesday this fake Farmers' Market is held filth is found in and around this market. Some one should understand that we do need fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, but it is also important that the surroundings be clean. A health and safety issue in paramount when it comes to any Market selling fruits and vegetables inside or out in the open. I hope some one pays attention to this fact. Just a few feet - may be a hundred feet at the Opera House thousands of people mostly Senior folks are given packets of food including some fruit and vegetables and for free on Wednesdays too. The surrounding at the Opera House are not ideal but the point is while you stand by at the Farmers' Market you watch many people walk by with carts full of free food, fruits and vegetables. Kind of a contradiction in terms. Poor people on a limited income need help. Most of them cannot spare money to buy fruit and vegetables. Others can but they should be sold fresh fruits and vegetables. I hear Girls 2000 play a role at the Farmers' Market and it is not for me to tell Girls 2000 how to run their organization and participate in such programs. Any one knows about a true Farmers' Market will tell you that what you see is what you get and what you get is not fresh and of a variety. Many detest that this Farmers' Market is a failure because of the way it is run. You cannot presuppose that you can just come into the community and treat the community with disrespect. Many people will not step into an area that is filthy and where it is not safe. You really do not see too many people of color in charge at this Farmers' Market - you see a hidden agenda which is for Annie Eng and her ilk to figure out. We do have a Community Produce on 3rd Street at 4919 3rd Street and the owner could use some help. The San Francisco Department of Environment keeps promising this Produce Place and keeps shafting him. They even gave him a fridge - only to take it away. If Community Produce on 3rd Street was given a little help it would help the whole community. Vincent works Monday through Saturday and knows the community. Unlike, the fake folks that come once a week with no idea what they are doing and no impact made on good eating and buying habits linked to fresh fruit and vegetables. |
