Coastside Farmers Market Keeps Things Local

On a foggy Wednesday in Pacifica, vendors at the Coastside Farmers Market sell their tomatoes, squash, peaches, plums and other summer and fall crops. For local farmers, it's been a good year of growing despite the cold weather, and they have been coming out each Wednesday near Rockaway Beach to sell their produce for months. 

Erin Tomey, manager and founder of the Coastside Farmers Market, said the certified organic farmers market is not only beneficial to farmers, but also to residents of Pacifica.

"For Pacifica, or any community that doesn't have a defined public square, any market has the capacity to be a meeting point," she said.

The market currently has between 25 to 30 vendors ranging from gourmet food to natural beauty products and seasonal produce.

Tomey, who owns a chicken flock at her Irish Ridge Ranch in Half Moon Bay, said that more than half of the vendors are from within San Mateo County. In fact, when farmers contact her for a spot in the market, she favors those from the Bay Area, specifically within San Mateo County in order to keep the market hyper local and to give smaller, local farmers a space to sell their crops locally.

By selling their crops in their own community, Tomey said that the money spent at this farmer-run market stays within the community and helps local attorneys, accountants and other professionals that farmers might use to help run their farms.

"Every dollar that stays in the community results in $3 spent in the community. It's a really good economic element," she said. "It feeds way more than people. It keeps people thriving instead of just surviving."

In addition, this local market helps connect farmers with each other, too. 

"The reality of the work is that we're mainly by ourselves," she said. Having a farmers market creates a space for farmers to gain a better sense of the local farming community in an otherwise lonely profession.

Tomey, who considers herself a "rank amateur" when it comes to farming, said she holds a deep respect for farming and also hopes that local residents will gain a much better understanding of what it means to be a farmer after meeting these local farmers.

"Farmers are the most underappreciated professionals," she said. "Farming is always seen as a profession of last resort instead of something that should be honored."

Amalltime certified organic farmer Jim Nofziger, a resident of Pacifica, also understands the need for a local farmers market. This winemaker, vinegar maker and produce grower said that at one point he tried to sell his products to a whole seller, but they offered a much lower value than he expected.

"Selling to the public cuts out the middle man and you're making money for yourself," said Nofziger, who has been making wine for 20 years.

Although Nofziger mainly farms produce on the side, any money he makes from his produce helps him until he can harvest his wine crop and make wine, his real passion.

And he certainly doesn't mind selling his organic produce.

"Organic markets are becoming a big deal for communities," he said. "It is healthier to buy organic."

The Coastside Farmers Market is held every Wednesday in Pacifica off of the Coast Highway near Rockaway Beach from May until December. If you are interested in becoming a part of the farmers market, email Erin Tomey at farmersmarket@coastside.net or visit her at the farmers market the next time you are there.