East Hollywood Certified Farmers’ Market Reopens after Winter Hiatus

The wait is over! The East Hollywood Certified Farmers’ Market (EHCFM), a project of the Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC), will reopen on Thursday, March 13, 2014.  After 2 ½ months of break, the EHCFM will resume operation on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue, above the Metro Red line station.  The EHCFM strives to connect both the residents of Hollywood and East Hollywood, as well as Metro riders with fresh healthy produce straight from the farm, and a wide array of community resources available from the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council, the City of Los Angeles Council District 13, and other local non-profit organizations.

The presence of the EHCFM could not be possible without a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Market Promotion Program in 2011.  Since 2012, the EHCFM is proud to have served roughly 30,000 consumers including 1,000 EBT clients. Thai CDC has also helped distribute over $5,000 in Market Match - a program funded with the help of Hunger Action Los Angeles - where EBT, Calfresh, and WIC recipients receive up to $10 incentive to purchase more produce.

In preparation for the Spring Opening, the EHCFM’s staff has been busy planning to revitalize the Metro Plaza, an open air space located on top of the Hollywood and Western Metro subway station.   In 2013, Thai CDC received a grant from the California Community Foundation (CCF) to research the impact of developments around the Hollywood and Western Metro Station.  From its preliminary analysis of the study, the staff found that the Metro plaza has been viewed negatively among community residents and businesses.  When the market occupies the Metro Plaza, the EHCFM staff hopes to unite the community around a positive and vibrant neighborhood space by taking back an important community space for the neighborhood and creating an area where people feel safe to shop, socialize, dine and enjoy their neighborhood.  In addition to creating an inviting atmosphere for the market, the staff of the EHCFM has been planning to have a once a month healthy cooking demonstration in the summer, and they are also working to connect with local artists to showcase their talent during market hours.  People will be able to use the EHCFM Facebook Page to check on the schedule of healthy cooking demonstrations, current recipes, local community events and the schedule of artist performances.  The market has utilized social media platforms to engage, educate, and encourage the community to adopt a healthier and wholesome lifestyle.

Lastly in their arsenal, the staff has planned to bring a health expert to the market.  Thai CDC has successfully contacted and scheduled a professional dietician who will be able to offer her expert opinion on healthy living and healthy eating.  This program/event is still in the pilot stage, so the staff will actively assess the effectiveness of the program and will try to have the health experts continue their services at the market.

The EHCFM is located on Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue.  It operates from 3 PM – 7:30 PM every Thursday.  You can find more info on the market at www.facebook.com/EastHollywoodCertifiedFarmersMarket.

Thai CDC is a non-profit organization founded in 1994 on the premise that all peoples have a basic right to a decent standard of living and quality of life.  Further information about the Thai CDC is available on the organization’s web site at www.thaicdc.org.