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2009 Farmers Market on San Mateo Avenue
Photo courtesy of Robert Riechel

San Bruno hosting farmer's market
By Kyveli Diener
San Mateo County Times

Posted: 06/20/2009 04:19:34 PM PDT
Updated: 06/20/2009 05:45:57 PM PDT

SAN BRUNO — Heeding the calls of both merchants and residents, the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce will host the city's inaugural downtown farmer's market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today on San Mateo Avenue between Jenevein and Sylvan avenues.

The farmer's market will be held every Sunday through Oct. 17.

The San Bruno Chamber of Commerce has been discussing hosting a farmer's market downtown for more than four years, according to Laura Baughman, executive director.

The City Council approved the street closures that made the market possible on June 9.

"The downtown merchants have been saying for years that (we) need to do something downtown. (They asked us) to bring people down here so they can see what businesses are down here and what improvements have been made," Baughman said.

Those improvements include renovated facades on several storefronts and the reopening of Never Too Latte, an independent coffee shop.

The farmer's market also will benefit the San Bruno Downtown and Transit Corridors Plan, a program that is propelling the redevelopment and improvement of the downtown area near the city's major transit hubs with the help of ongoing community input.

"I really like those markets where we come into a downtown district because we can create foot traffic and "... a lot of positive energy that really overflows to the merchants," said John Silveira, director of Pacific Coast Farmer's Market Association,

the organization operating the market. "It becomes a real community event and gives us the opportunity to renew a downtown area and bring some freshness to it."

A farmer's market offering the freshest of local California produce was also vociferously requested by residents at community workshops for the Downtown and Transit Corridors Plan, Baughman said.

"The No. 1 thing residents wanted was a farmer's market," she said. "It was a really good way to do what the community wanted."

First National Bank donated bags to the inaugural farmer's market for guests to use for carrying their groceries, Baughman said, and in honor of Father's Day, the first 250 people to bring their father to the market today will receive a $2 coupon toward their market purchases.

The chamber will be leasing the use of four booths at the farmer's market each week, one of which is expected to be used by the city to keep residents updated on capital improvement projects as well as the Downtown and Transit Corridors Plan, Baughman said.