I recently heard about a group of people trying to start up a Farmer’s Market here in Old Towne Orange. A BIG Farmer’s Market, like what you would find in San Clemente or Pasadena. And more than just a Farmer’s Market, a place for local growers and artisans to get together and put out their offerings on a Saturday. Yes, I said SATURDAY!
I heard about this a while ago and was recently given an invitation to attend a Fundraising event, which happened last evening (Saturday, June 5) right around the corner from my house in fact. Of course, I would be going to this event to get the scoop and here’s what I found out.
First of all, they are SO close to making it happen. Their efforts have been a year in the making and from what I can tell, they have the City working right along with them to make this dream of a Real Farmer’s Market become a reality. This amazing group of individuals is made up of 9 Orange locals, just like you and me, who felt that our town was just ‘screaming’ for an awesome Farmer’s Market, so they set out. It was just a couple of people to start and they began extending their arms until the group of 9 came together, each with their own talents and abilities. They are currently in the process of forming a non-profit organization called Orange Home Grown, Inc.
The market they envision will host a variety of SoCal growers and artisans as well as promote community building through collaboration, education and awareness. It will be family oriented, featuring fresh local produce, educational material/classes, including such topics as home gardening, water conservation and healthy eating, as well as promoting our City. You know I am all over this, right? That’s why I started IHOTO, loving it!
They are currently working on nailing down a location, with the parking lot behind the City building being their first choice. They have a couple of other locations in mind, as well, but nothing solid yet. As of today, they are not trying to come to the traffic circle, but they don’t want to be so far off that the synergy of the Plaza is lost.
For the brief period of time I spent with this group last night, I was very inspired and excited about what they are setting out to do. It’s truly in the effort of bringing something wholesome to our community and bringing our community together…something we all aspire to be a part of. I’ll be all over this as things progress and put out updates when I know.
Happy Growing OTO!
PS. I neglected to mention when I first posted this that there is currently a Farmer’s Market in OTO. It’s at the American Legion on Thursday’s from 1 – 6. I have not been able to find a website for this market, but I do know that it happens. It’s definitely worth checking out!