How Eating Your Vegetables is Activism

An interview with Food Access LA, and how you can show up for community right now

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Last week I spoke with Meg Caruana, the Manager of the Atwater Farmer’s Market to talk about what it really takes to feed a city, and why this moment proves just how vulnerable our communities are.

I will be hosting an extra special and delicious interactive Pita Party at the Atwater Farmer’s Market later this summer. Look out for tickets soon.

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If you want to feel the soul of LA, start at the Farmer’s Markets.

Tucked between the incredible variety of produce and the carefully harvested goods, you will find the beating heart of our great city. Spend enough time shopping there and you’re likely to meet people with deep generational knowledge of the land, individuals who show constant resilience in the face of a changing planet, and, most impressively, extraordinary care.

Each week, vendors wake up before dawn, pop open tents in Alhambra or Hollywood, Atwater Village or Santa Monica, and show up to help nourish LA. It’s no surprise that buying directly from markets is a powerful way we can use our collective purchasing power for the good of this city—and as a form of local, real-time activism.

One thing I love is the seasonal frenzy that happens around the incredible farms and their farmers. How people will line up to get their hands on Weiser’s melons or Galvin’s peaches. These are the touchstones of greater LA, and they play a critical role in the fabric of who we are as a city.

While shopping at farmers markets may not seem like activism in the same way that putting one’s body on the line in civil protest does, it can nonetheless be part of practical activism. I choose to shop where I can directly contribute to building a more sustainable and equitable food system. The people who manage the markets are working diligently to advocate for policies and practices that strengthen both the markets themselves and the farmers they support—ultimately benefiting the entire city we live in.

We love you so much, LA. Keep showing up—on the streets and at the markets.

Look out for upcoming events at the Atwater Farmers Market later this summer. Until then, here is my talk with Meg.

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Hi! To start us off, could you tell us a little about yourself and the work you do with the nonprofit that powers so many of LA’s iconic farmers markets?
(What brought you into this line of work? What's your favorite farmers market?)

My name is Meg, I manage the Atwater Village Farmers’ market and coordinate special projects with Food Access LA. I became passionate about farmers and local food systems while working on a regenerative dairy farm. When I returned to LA, I wanted to continue learning about our food system and began work as a garden educator within LAUSD, through an organization called Enrich LA (they’re hiring). Education is vital to building a sustainable food system, so it felt like a great place to start! What draws me to farmers’ markets is the community aspect - they are free spaces where people can gather to learn about food and sustainability, meet their neighbors, connect with their city and meet the farmers and food makers that feed them. And of course there’s always great food.

Roughly how many farmers and vendors do you collaborate with each week across the different markets?
(It must be a big operation - what’s that scale feel like?)

We work with hundreds of small-mid size farms and small food businesses. A lot of people don’t know this but we operate eight (soon to be nine) markets, spread across LA. Our mission is to ensure Angelenos not only have access to fresh produce and healthy food, but also have a greater understanding as to why it’s important. We do this through our markets as well as our nutrition programs. Each market has its own manager that works to build and maintain a vibrant place for their community to gather. Please check out our list of markets and visit one you’ve never been to before!

What’s your relationship like with the farmers and vendors?
(Is it more business, more community, or something else altogether?)

Many of the farmers and food vendors at Food Access LA have been a part of the organization from its inception, so they are truly what makes the organization what it is. For example, Atwater Village Farmers’ Market is almost 20 years old (!!) and this is only my third year as its manager. Though the managers change, the vendors remain. The farmers and vendors are the experts in this industry, they taught me how to run a welcoming market, how to create return customers and how to show up week after week. Every Sunday, I am in awe of their dedication and service. You can feel that the relationship between vendor and customer goes beyond a transaction, there is a mutual appreciation and oftentimes a friendship that develops from these weekly visits.

If you had to explain “farmers market culture” to someone who’s never been, how would you describe it?
(What makes it special? Especially in a city like LA)

I think there’s a misconception that farmers’ markets just happen, but it takes farmers, vendors and customers all agreeing that the direct to consumer model is important to them - that nutrient dense food and access to it is a right to all people. All of our markets accept EBT and offer a market match program, which is unique to farmers’ market culture. LA is so big and every community within it is unique, and what’s cool about farmers’ markets is that they reflect the community they serve. Unlike a chain grocery store, farmers’ markets have personality and a uniquely human touch. You can hang out with friends, meet people, engage in art and music and think more deeply about the role you play in the food system.

Right now, a lot of your community is being personally affected by the current administration’s harmful immigration policies. How are these broader realities showing up at the market level?
(How are you and your network responding, emotionally, practically, politically?)

Food access issues are human rights issues. Equitable and sustainable food systems cannot exist until every person is seen as worthy and deserving, simply by virtue of being human; documented or undocumented. These inhumane and unlawful raids leave not only our organization but our entire city feeling afraid, angry, and protective. We are committed to offering safe places for all people to gather for nourishment and connection. Please visit @foodaccessla on Instagram for a list of immigration resources. Visit the link in our bio to write your representatives and tell them to protect farm workers.

On top of this, our communities are also facing proposed cuts to programs like SNAP (aka food stamps, EBT). SNAP is a vital food assistance program that has proven time and time again to feed families, provide jobs and bolster local economies. You can call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representative. Tell them: “No cuts to SNAP or SNAP-Ed in the Budget Reconciliation, and tell your representative to commit to voting NO on any bill that harms food access.” The LA Food Policy Council has a great advocacy toolkit where you can learn more and share this information with your networks.

For those of us who care and want to do something—how can we help?
(Is it showing up, speaking out, donating, volunteering? All of the above?)

Resources listed above. Every person has a responsibility to be civically engaged, politics affect every industry and every person, whether they feel it today or not. It’s important to take some kind of action, large or small, because there is a role for everyone to play. Whether that’s simply staying informed, talking with people, sharing resources, showing up physically, calling and writing representatives, signing petitions (make sure to read them!), donating, volunteering, or highlighting organizations that are already doing the work, it’s all vital. Taking care of others and taking care of yourself is essential to the process too.

What do you see when you look ahead—what’s your vision for the future of LA’s farmers markets and the communities that make them possible?
(Any hopeful trends or urgent concerns we should know about?)

There are so many amazing food justice organizations that have been serving LA for a long time, and despite the challenges we face, we continue to show up for each other and the communities we serve. It seems there is a natural interest among people in this city to learn about food and defend food as a right to all and not a privilege for some. Farmers markets are a necessary and beloved resource for Angelenos, but they are just one piece of the food puzzle. Dig around to learn how you can support other organizations working to provide food security!

And finally—where’s the merch?!
(How can we show love and rep our favorite farmers markets in our daily lives? Totes? Tees? Hats? Stickers on our water bottles?)

Coming this summer!