RAMONA, Calif. — A farmers market can be a joyful place for both the customers and the people running it.
In this Zevely Zone, I help spread the word about Ramona's best-kept secret. In March, the Ramona Certified Farmers Market opened to the public, but the public didn't show up. "The farmers market is off to a slow start," said Marcie Hayes.
She is the owner of Generations Day Care. "You know the main purpose of our farmers market is to provide job training to adults with developmental disabilities, so they are working at the booth selling bread and produce and the dog treats that we make," said Marcie.
The mission of all Generations Ramona program sites and facilities is to provide an inclusive, enriching, respectful environment that welcomes people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Marcie calls Ramona an under-served desert when it comes to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "When I first opened my programs there were virtually no services for disabled adults in Ramona," said Marcie.
"I'm Sara," said a 42-year-old client with Down Syndrome. Sara's mom Deanna sees a difference daily in her daughter. "Seeing her happy and excited coming home and saying look what we did today is such a blessing," said Deanna.
Generations Day Care offers their clients services free of charge. David and Adam Boddy parents Helen and Bill say their identical twins smile all day long. "This is a great place," said Helen. "The things she puts together at this program are amazing," said Bill.
Along with learning money management, the farmers market teaches job skills. "We are selling a lot of strawberries, vegetables and bread," said Alex Ramirez. Alex's father Bert says the program is giving his son a purpose in life. "It's made a big difference in Alex's life," said Bert.
I asked another client's mother how we were going to get people out to their farmers market. "I think word of mouth," said Kris Knudsen who is the mother of Kari.
Marcie Hayes promises that if you come, you will not be disappointed. "We have the dog treats that we make at our day program, we have bread, candles, soap and produce," said Marcie.
Come for the strawberries and dog treats, but stay for the free train rides. The Ramona Certified Farmers Market offers free train rides to everyone on a small, yellow, motorized train.
The Ramona Certified Farmers Market boasts a wide variety of vendors, including meats, eggs, locally grown and organic produce, breads & pastries, local crafters and artisans.
Each week the market has live music, special events for children, food trucks and the opportunity for youth groups to do fundraising for their organization.
It's located at 424 Letton Street in Ramona and runs every Saturday 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM from February through November. For more information click here.