How the extreme heat is hurting farmer’s market vendors: ‘It’s their livelihoods’

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The extreme heat currently sitting over the Central Valley has forced several seasonal farmer’s markets to turn vendors away – for the safety of organizers, market-goers, and vendors.

“It’s nothing that we want to do, but at the end of the day, their safety is our main concern,” Events Coordinator with the Downtown Fresno Partnership Marissa Arreguin said.

Arreguin is responsible for helping the Downtown Fresno Partnership organize the Market on Kern, a weekly Farmer’s Market in Downtown Fresno.

“It brings a different energy,” Arreguin said. “The relationships with the vendors and being able to connect with the community on a more intimate basis every week, it’s pretty cool.”

The Market on Kern is one of several farmer’s markets that have been put on pause due to the intense heat. Arreguin the move has been a blow to the vendors.

“All of them depend on being at these markets,” Arreguin said. “So when we cancel it does come with a heavy heart.”

Arreguin says that it’s important to her and the Downtown Fresno Partnership that they support the vendors when the market is closed by promoting them on social media and word of mouth.

“They really rely on those in-person interactions, so when we’re gone we’ll try to post them,” Arreguin said. “I want everyone to know [about them] even if I’m out and about I’ll carry their cards with me.”

Stephanie Tallez, also known as the Soup Guru on Instagram , makes what she calls “clean food.”

“We’re vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free, we just pride ourselves on really clean quality food.”

Tallez says she started her food business nearly a year ago and has relied heavily on farmer’s markets to build her brand and business.

“I have about six venues a week, and that doesn’t include anything I get pulled to or catering.”

Tallez says that she, like many other vendors, struggles financially when the markets close, especially as the cost of living has risen too.

“Shopping for everyday items, packaging, ingredient contents, all those things are very costly – gas commuting from venue to venue has been crazy.”

Much like Arreguin, Tallez has developed intimate friendships with her fellow vendors, and with the markets closing, she says she has also felt the impact on a social level.

“We all kind of respect each other and have the unspoken camaraderie,” Tallez said. “It’s definitely a family situation.”

Tallez says she also encourages everyone she knows to visit the various farmer’s markets in the Central Valley to support local and traveling vendors.

Marissa Arreguin and Stephanie Tallez both agree that while the weather may be a detriment to all hoping to visit the farmer’s markets, the vendors, market-goers, and organizers will pick up right where they left off when the heat dies down again.

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