Film and the Farmers' Market

Any outsider can blithely say that the film industry is the machine that runs Los Angeles, but the heart of the city is in its markets. Will a film school parking garage really put a damper on Sunday’s Hollywood Farmers' Market?

As a downtown resident with a borderline obsession with humanely raised meat (going as far as taking butchery classes), barely-legal raw milk, and piles of fresh, organic berries, the market is an oasis. A fifteen minute train ride from Pershing Square (where neighboring grocers are limited to a grossly overpriced yet indispensible Ralph’s and a half dozen Famima franchises) will take me to the Hollywood and Vine Metro Station, just two blocks away from the best of California’s local foods.

But what about those who aren’t just looking for persimmons, truffles, or free-range bison? Tuesday’s data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show Los Angeles currently has an 11.7% jobless rate (a number that nearly doubles in the outlying agricultural areas where market produce is grown). Dozens of stalls reliably offer cheap staples like bags of citrus, potatoes, and greens to healthfully feed those with lower incomes. Vendors even accept food stamps, EBT cards, WIC and Senior FMNP.

Changing the location or restricting the size of the market has wider impact than just limiting the varieties of heirloom tomatoes or fresh flowers for sale. Taking away space for vendors at the large Hollywood market drastically reduces income for the small farmers, which in turn reduces their abilities to sell at smaller markets. The Huffington Post reported, “With the loss of that income, 7 other smaller farmers' markets in low income areas like Watts, Crenshaw, South Central, Echo Park, East Hollywood and Atwater Village that are supported by the Hollywood Farmers' Market could also be forced to close.” Limiting reasonably-priced fresh food to struggling families only exacerbates their struggles, as well as delivering them directly into the hands of fast food chains and convenience stores.

As for the film students? How about staying up late to catch that extra movie on Saturday night—and then stop by the market for some fresh snacks on the way to the labs. I hear they give some great deals at closing time.