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Market is popular among residents

David Magdaleno, left, leaves Valley Heights Ranch in Oceanside around 5 a.m. to bring his selection of produce to La Verne's Farmer's Market every Saturday. Ellen Hardy, right, from New York, selects some broccoli with her daughter Audrey Lamprey. / photo by Jason Cooper
David Magdaleno, left, leaves Valley Heights Ranch in Oceanside around 5 a.m. to bring his selection of produce to La Verne’s Farmer’s Market every Saturday. Ellen Hardy, right, from New York, selects some broccoli with her daughter Audrey Lamprey. / photo by Jason Cooper

by Valerie Rojas
Staff Writer

It is a cloudy Saturday morning. While most people are still tucked away in their comfortable beds or waking up to begin their weekends, a few dedicated people are setting up shop.

Buckets of blooming flowers are set on display. Crates of juicy tomatoes, fresh-cut artichokes and bundles of broccoli are arranged.

Residents from all over the community pour in, eager to get their hands on some organically grown fruit; they greet the vendors, some of whom they now know by name.

The Farmer’s Market, which is held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. every Saturday in the University of La Verne Bookstore parking lot, attracts residents from La Verne and neighboring communities.

Giving local merchants and craftspeople the opportunity to display their merchandise and promote their work, the Farmer’s Market is a very popular way to spend a Saturday.

“It’s a good chance for local establishments to bring their goods out for the people to see, and find out where they’re located on a normal basis,” said Terina Agapay, La Verne resident and frequent customer.

What attracts these customers? What makes them come back week after week? Is it the smell of teriyaki chicken wafting through the air? Is it the breathtaking flowers that seem to last forever? Is it the handcrafted Victorian style jewelry that lulls them in?

Well, it could be all of these things, or it could just be, as 15-year-old James Uh said, “People like organic fruit.”

Uh has been selling his mother’s homegrown fruit at the Market for nearly three years, and while he says this is not the ideal way to spend his weekends, he attends every Saturday.

For the past two months, the ULV Bookstore parking lot has been home to the Farmer’s Market since its move from City Hall. Caroline Lupescu, assistant coordinator of the Market, says this location is very fitting.

“It’s fairly new in this location; it’s still in the growing process, but actually it’s been doing very good,” Lupescu said.

The Farmer’s Market is open year round, located in the ULV parking lot during the spring and winter, and in Downtown La Verne during the summer. It takes many volunteers and a lot of dedication to keep this marketplace established all year.

“It’s an encouragement to get everyone together, relax a little bit and enjoy the natural foods,” Lisa Powell said. Powell has been working at the Market for a little over a year now, selling jewelry for her mother’s business, “Desert Jewels.”

With a loyal following and a lot of dedication, the Farmer’s Market is improving with every weekend.

As long as vendors keep producing and customers keep coming out for that fresh fruit, the Farmer’s Market will continue to invite the community in every Saturday.

“It will be a nice marketplace, and there are a lot of people that really come for that organically grown produce,” Lupescu said.

Valerie Rojas
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Jason Cooper
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