For more than 35 years, the Santa Barbara Farmers’ market has brought fresh fruit, vegetables and other nutritious food to the city in a thriving Saturday morning ritual in the commuter parking lot at Cota and Santa Barbara streets. Now, the city is considering ditching the market to build a new police station.
As one of the longtime farmers who feed Santa Barbara, I must stress that we support our police and their need for an upgraded station. They keep our city safe. But the cost of displacing the farmers’ market is too high. It would undermine the city’s health.
I know this because I’ve been selling organic produce and eggs and poultry and flowers for three decades. We have regular customers, home cooks, and restaurateurs who want the freshest, healthiest ingredients to feed their families and customers. We also have out-of-town visitors who flock to the market.