There’s something for everyone at Westwood Farmers Market
By Marjon Ghasemi
For those who think bartering went out with the advent of cash,
the old-fashioned atmosphere of the Westwood Village Farmers Market
may hold a few surprises.
"We trade (among ourselves) a lot," said vendor Devorah
Kamisher. "They give me a candle, I give them a crepe."
Whether you’re searching for homemade beeswax candles, homemade
tacos or fresh cut flowers, students said the Westwood Village
Farmers Market is the place to go.
Farmers Market participants converge on Weyburn Avenue at
Glendon every Thursday to sell their eclectic offerings of crafts,
foods and various oddities between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Partners Aaron Shapiro and Joe Faley, both former Bruins,
explained that they founded this non-profit company to add to the
community.
"The students love shopping here, the merchants enjoy the
additional patrons and we don’t cause the city any problems,"
Shapiro said. "So everyone’s happy."
Many students said that they were happy with the reasonable
prices and the fresh produce.
"This is my first time here and I love it," said Pearl Philip, a
first-year English student. "I bought a candle, some tangerines and
some kiwi for a lot less than I would pay at Breadsticks, plus it’s
fresher," she commented, adding that the jazz band playing in the
background added to the market’s amiable atmosphere.
City officials also seem pleased with the rejuvenation that the
market has brought to the Westwood area.
"People are very happy with the farmers market," said Rochelle
Ventura, Councilman Mike Feuer’s chief field deputy. "It has
brought an added vitality. I haven’t heard one complaint."
The merchants said they enjoy a camaraderie with fellow
vendors.
"It’s a real friendly atmosphere," said Roberta Nesbit of Light
A Wish Candles, "so we all get to know each other."
Nesbit noticed that a great many of her patrons are students.
Among their favorite purchases from Nesbit’s booth are the various
good fortune stones she sells, which range from $1 to $3.
"When you touch a stone once a day for 31 days you become more
like the meaning of the stone," Nesbit claimed. She explained that
an amethyst, for example, encourages spiritual awareness, healing
and balance.
Devorah Kamisher’s Country Crepes trailer boasts an all natural
menu of 15 different crepes, soft veggie tacos, coffee drinks and
fruit smoothies. Kamisher, who has only been attending the market
for the past four months, was formerly a masseuse.
"I feed you and make you fatter and then I massage it off of
you," Kamisher joked.
Shapiro explained that most of the owners were either referred
or actively recruited from other farmers markets.
"We travelled to other markets throughout Southern California
and selected the best vendors," Shapiro said.
With 46 farmers markets in L.A. County, it is essential to
maintain quality vendors, Shapiro explained. It is this quality
control that has allowed the market to double in size since it
first opened in June 1994.
"We started small and now we are the second or third biggest
(farmer’s market) in the area," Shapiro said.
One practice that vendors say has benefitted the market has been
that they are one of the few businesses in Westwood which validate
parking. Market merchants are allowed two free hours of parking in
the Bullock’s parking lot.
As with any outdoor establishment, though, weather is a key
factor in determining the amount of market’s patrons.
"The weather affects us tremendously," Shapiro admitted. "But we
don’t have huge fluctuations with the seasons."
In essence, Shapiro hopes that the market encourages people to
appreciate the natural world around them.
"The market is where the urban and rural meet," Shapiro said.
"It’s an integration of urban folks into the beauty of the natural
cycle of life."
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
Shoppers browse through the stands holding various vegetables
and fruits at the Farmers Market in Westwood. Above left, Sylvia
Dillon, a counselor at the UCLA center for European and Russian
studies, selects the perfect head of lettuce.
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
A woman samples from a mound of strawberries.
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
A couple weighs oranges at Dave Eakin’s orange stand.
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