Rittenhouse Farmers Market

The Rittenhouse farmers' market has been a staple of the Center City community and surrounding urban areas for decades. Originally founded in 2004 by the local organization Farm to City, the twice-a-week farmers' market has hosted 50-plus local farmers and vendors from the surrounding Philadelphia and New Jersey areas. While the Rittenhouse farmers market continues to create and sustain a sense of community, it also plays a vital role in Philadelphia.

Like many major cities across the United States, the epidemic of food insecurity has plagued Philadelphia. Food insecurity is described as the lack of accessibility to enough food for a healthy life, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. In 2020 alone, about 250,000 people experienced food insecurity in Philadelphia county. Despite the misconception, being food insecure isn't always about being able to have food on a regular basis or having walkable access to a grocery store. Rather, being food insecure also includes not having the accessibility to fresh or healthier food options.

Out of all the neighborhoods within Philadelphia county, only six percent of them do not have walkable access to high-produce stores. These high-produce stores include chain supermarkets Giant or Fresh Grocer, which offer readily available produce. It should be noted that Center City, where Rittenhouse farmers market is located, has the highest concentration of high-produce stores within walking distance. While the majority of the city has access to high-produce stores, that does not necessarily mean its residents can afford fresh produce from these establishments. This often leaves residents to choose to buy more processed food that is high in sugar, fat, and sodium; which, over time, can lead to major health issues.

According to a study sponsored by the Philadelphia health department, 69% percent of Philadelphia residents purchase their groceries from supermarkets. However, there is a small majority of two percent of residents acquire their groceries from farmers' markets, similar to the one in Rittenhouse. While attendance at these types of markets has fluctuated over the years, long-time vendors still feel that their presence in urban areas like Philly is important.

The Rineer Family Farm, a small family farm located in Pequea, PA, has been a staple vendor at the Rittenhouse market. They've been offering fresh produce, eggs, and meat to Rittenhouse since the market's founding in 2004. Although the city and its patrons have changed over time, to them, the importance of vendors in urban areas has not.

Emily Rohrer, a member of the Rineer Family Farm, explains that bringing fresh farm produce to the city is important not only for health reasons but also for quality reasons too.

" It's difficult to get actual farm fresh produce in the city. And when you grow it yourself, raise it yourself, and you're actually the one bringing it into the city, you know that the quality is good. You know that you grew it, you know the kind of ground it was grown in, and the quality is just unmatchable," says Rohrer.

For newer vendors, like Frecon Farms, a smaller farm located in Boyertown, PA, sees their presence in urban farmers' markets as a reminder to the public that you don't always have to travel far to obtain fresh food.

"It's important to just show real fruit and everything that is grown locally and not shipped out from places. It's also to show what we have to offer and that you can bring it to the city, and you don't just have to travel in the countryside to find [fresh] stuff grown," says Ava Ainge, a new employee of Frecon Farms.

While it's essential for vendors to have these spaces and opportunities to sell their fresh produce to the public, it's equally as important that farmers' markets are made readily available to the public. Some customers, like David Daigneault, feel that when markets are more readily available, the stronger the community feels.

" I grew up in Seattle, where farmers' markets are like a dime a dozen, and you can find them on any corner. And [markets] are important to me because they make me feel a stronger connection to my neighborhood [...] I've always loved my farmers, and I've always shopped at farmers' markets; it's a great way to feel more connected to your food.