Canyon Market News

Welcome to the second edition of Canyon Market News, your source for the latest market updates, vendor highlights, seasonal offerings, and farm-fresh recipes from the Topanga Farmers Market.

Romaine calm! We’re just 5 weeks away from launching!

Read on for a glimpse of what we’ve been working on and a preview of our vendor line up.

The Team Behind the Relaunch (Part 2):

Sarah Seelinger, Market Manager

Sarah will be managing onsite every Friday along with Freddi and Kate. She is an artist and educator with a passion for art, local food communities and native plant gardens. She is the former Market Manager for the previous Topanga Farmers Market (that closed in 2018) and three other farmers markets in Los Angeles. 

She has lived in Topanga for nine years with her husband Geoff, daughters Diana and Gwyneth and four dogs. Prior to moving to Topanga, she lived in Venice where she taught a sustainable cooking program for kids called “Farm Style Cooking for Kids” at farmers markets and in after school programs. 

Sarah and Geoff hold life drawing workshops at “The Yellow House” (the name they affectionately gave their 1930’s home) and enjoy painting plein air with the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains. 

Sarah is excited to return as Market Manager for the new Topanga Farmers Market.

Danielle Hutchens, Logo Designer

Our fantastic logo was crafted by Danielle Hutchens, a talented painter and ceramicist based in Topanga. Danielle uses sustainable practices and materials to create one-of-a-kind pieces. You may also know her as the creative force behind Open Studios, the recent and highly successful artist studio tour in the canyon.

Vendor Highlights: 

Ayala Farms, Oxnard

We are thrilled to introduce you to one of the vendors making their Topanga debut this March—Ayala Farms! Ayala is a Latina women-owned and family-operated farm located in Oxnard with a commitment to regenerative farming practices. They offer seasonal berries, leafy greens, herbs, citrus and avocados grown without pesticides. This family farm is in the process of getting their organic certification. We’re so excited to have them as a part of our market community. 

Mahealani Farms, Carpinteria

Damien, Terra, Mesa and Mahealani are the faces and hands behind Mahealani Farms, our incredible mushroom vendor! They are a family of four who work and run a small farm in Carpinteria, California, growing small row crops and about 15 varieties of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. They are passionate about developing products that are nature based, effective, and of the highest quality possible. On the farm they source everything from their cultures to their substrate blend with raw goods made in the USA.  Additionally, they partner with a biochemist in Los Angeles who takes their mushrooms and formulates the finest skincare products with the deep understanding of biology and chemistry.

Creating a Better Market

We aim to be a zero waste market that gives back to the earth.

• We selected vendors who prioritize educating consumers, producing minimal waste and reducing impact on our environment.

• Our vendors are encouraged to use less plastic packaging and disposable products like plastic bags.

• Customers are encouraged to bring reusable bags to the market. If you forget your bag, we will have a “bring a bag, take a bag” box by the manager’s booth.

• There is composting available on-site for food scraps.

• We plan to offer various opportunities and resources for living a more sustainable life at the market including recycling for hard to recycle items, clothing repair and workshops.

Our aim to be zero waste will be a work in progress, but over time we hope to reduce waste that our market produces and set a precedent for sustainability that will be an example for other markets in Southern California and beyond. Reach out to us if you have ideas on how to make our market more sustainable.

Everyone Deserves Great Produce

We’re not just in the business of bringing organic produce to the canyon, we also want to make sure real nourishing food is available to other communities in Los Angeles. We’re honored to share that a percentage of our market’s proceeds will support SÜPRMARKT, a non-profit that is doing very important work in South LA to make organic food accessible to all and make great health and healing available in the communities which need it most.

Since its inception in July 2016, SÜPRMARKT has provided more than 100,000 pounds of organic fruit, veggies, and staples affordably in South LA, a community which has 1.3 million residents but only 60 grocery stores. They aim to shatter longstanding barriers to health in low income communities by making organic food accessible to all and educate to make organic living feel easy. They are currently raising funds to open South Central’s first organic grocery. When you shop at Topanga Farmers Market you will be supporting SÜPRMARKT’s work or visit SUPRSEED.ORG to support directly today.

We STILL DEFINITELY need your support! 

Our new market will only be as strong and amazing as the community that supports it. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Share and Comment on our Instagram and Facebook posts: Help show our vendors that we have a vibrant, supportive, and excited community and spread the word to other potential customers.

• Spread the Word: Talk to your friends and neighbors who don’t use email or social media, and share the good news about the market launch on March 1st at the TCC.

• Sponsors: We need sponsors to help cover costs like the sound system for music performances and other tech upgrades. Reach out to us at [email protected] if you would like to be a market sponsor. Sponsors will have prominent advertising opportunities.

• Market Volunteers: Sign up to work at the market on Fridays. We need Parking Attendants, Market Support Team Members, and other volunteer roles. Click here to express interest in volunteering.

• Market Staff: Are you interesting in working for one of our vendors at the market? We have multiple vendors looking for responsible and enthusiastic staff to run their booths. Email [email protected] to learn more.

• Artists: Apply to sell your art and wares at the market. Apply here.

• Musicians: Sign up to perform at the farmers market!

Stay in touch and up to date with the latest market news:

• Follow Topanga Farmers Market on Instagram.

• Follow Topanga Farmers Market on Facebook.

• Make sure you are subscribed to this newsletter and forward this signup link to neighbors and friends who haven’t subscribed yet.

Share your feedback! Email us at [email protected].

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