By Kevin Herrera
Editor in Chief

ARIZONA AVENUE While a lot of attention has been paid to produce companies buying up large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables at the popular Wednesday Farmers’ Market — causing local chefs to fume and fret over losing out on limited ingredients for their menus — there’s a program out there that is trying to make sure locals get what they need to prepare their family’s meals.

It’s called the Farmers’ Market Basket Program, run by Southland Farmers’ Market Association, the largest non-profit group of certified farmers’ markets in the West, helping to promote small farmers.

Members of Southland do the shopping for their customers, scouring the market to assemble a wide variety of fruits and veggies that are placed into a paper bag or basket and delivered to one’s workplace to be picked up during a break or at the end of the day, said Katie Ricketts, Community Market Coordinator who created the program.

“This is a way of ensuring that the community is taken care of,” Ricketts said.

In a recent newspaper article, it seemed that produce companies were buying up fruits and vegetables at the market, leaving very little behind for the average shopper, but in reality, many farmers leave without leftovers that may not last the trip home or have to be sold within a few days or they go bad, Ricketts said.

That’s where the basket program comes in. Those who may be too busy at work to shop during the day — the Wednesday market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — can have produce delivered to them, the convenience of which may draw others in who otherwise would not shop at the market.

“We were scratching our heads trying to come up with more opportunities for farmers to come into contact with consumers and to help them make a profit so we thought about creating a weekly delivery service,” Ricketts said.

The program started off as a pilot involving employees at RAND Corp. but has now grown to include more than 70 customers and two drop-off locations — City Hall and the Main Library. Employees from Google and the YMCA are participating, as are city employees.

The cost of the program varies depending on what season it is and what produce is popular. Bags can range anywhere from $20 to $35.

Ricketts is looking to expand the program to possibly include employees at SMC or KCRW. Around 40 people need to sign up together to create a new drop-off location. Those interested in signing up can find out more information by e-mailing Ricketts at www.katie@sfma.net.

“We make every effort to get stuff people like,” Ricketts said. “We don’t get too crazy. We generally pick what’s in season and what the majority of people would be interested in using and would enjoy.”

As for whether or not the program creates an even more competitive marketplace, forcing others to show up even earlier to grab the best of what’s around, Ricketts said there is no need for concern.

“There is definitely enough produce,” she said. “I’m excited because this program is helping the direct community of Santa Monica.”

If the program catches on, it is possible that it will be duplicated elsewhere, Ricketts said.

“This is a model and we hope in the future to help other markets do the same.”

kevinh@smdp.com