Jeff Clemetson | Editor

On April 4, Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center cut the ribbon on a long-awaited farmers market at the hospital.

“I am off the chart excited. This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a long, long time,” said Jane Finley, Kaiser senior vice president and area manager for San Diego. “[This market] supports everything we stand for, which is healthy eating and active living — thriving.”

The now open farmers market is held weekly on Wednesdays, noon–4 p.m. in the front parking lot of Kaiser Zion Medical Center, 4647 Zion Ave. in Grantville.

Although the plan to open a farmers market at the hospital had been in the works for several years, it was only after Kaiser opened its new San Diego Medical Center in Kearney Mesa that it became possible.

“We just didn’t have room when we had all of our patients coming to one hospital,” said Jim Malone, chief administrative officer for Kaiser Permanente San Diego. “The parking lot was full so it was really difficult to find space to do it. Now that we have the two hospitals this one isn’t as impacted.”

When most people think of farmers markets, they picture a blocked off street with vendors lining the middle of the road, or perhaps a grassy park area with booths — but what about a hospital parking lot?

“It’s really not as novel an idea as you’d think. We’ve been working on this for a few years. A lot of the Kaiser Permanente facilities have farmers markets around Southern California,” Malone said, adding that Kaiser farmers markets have been very successful and some have been operating for over 10 years.

“Kaiser Permanente tries to promote health and wellness so it goes right along with our mission in trying to bring along a lot of good healthy food to our communities — that’s really one of main reasons why we do it,” he said. “Plus, all our physicians and staff can come out on their break and buy some great, fresh vegetables and healthy kinds of food.”

Healthy, natural food was a theme of the grand opening during presentations by hospital administrators like Finley and Malone, as well as Councilmember Scott Sherman, who lives just four blocks away from the hospital. Sherman thanked Kaiser for opening its parking lot and shared why he is a fan of farmers markets.

“I’ve always been a gardener. I have my plot at the San Carlos Community Garden and I sponsor the urban agriculture incentive zones where we bring community gardens into neighborhoods and give property owners tax incentives to give up a piece of land for a community garden,” he said. “So, I love seeing what’s being brought here. It’s perfect for the hospital and the tie in for healthy living.”

Market manager Brian Beevers of Brian’s Farmers Markets said that he was given “strict direction from Kaiser” as well as his own “pickiness” to provide the market with the best produce he could find.

“We wanted some really healthy food to represent a place of health and so that’s why the vendors that we have here were specifically chosen,” he said.

There are currently 20 vendors at the market offering a mix of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, hummus, hot food, flowers, plants, and some arts and crafts. More may be on the way.

“We have space for more vendors. We can definitely stretch out a little bit further,” Beevers said. “We can probably fit another 15 vendors in here so it would be a nice mid-size market.”

That would be good news for local residents Lindsay Hangos and Dom Mitchell who live near the hospital and were excited to learn that a farmers market was opening in their neighborhood.

“Now I don’t have to drive all the way to Hillcrest. I’m all about the vegetables, nuts and plant-based food,” Hangos said, adding that the midday hours the market is open doesn’t bother her because Wednesday is her day off.

Carmelo Martinez, a vendor from Heritage Family Farms that sells oranges, citrus, avocados, and exotic fruits like passion fruit, is optimistic about the success of the market, even though he conceded that the midday hours of operation will make it difficult for some people to visit.

“Well it seems like unusual farmers market hours, but it might work since there are patients getting appointments and getting off and the employees themselves at Kaiser,” he said. “So, we might have some sort of traffic flow — it might work for us.”

Tonya Gatsen, one of Kaiser Zion’s approximately 3,000 employees, said she will be a regular shopper.

“I love farmers markets. I get some veggies to make dinner, get fresh flowers for the week,” Gatsen said, adding that she also loves having more lunch options from the hot food vendors.

Although the midday hours and location make the market ideal for Kaiser, it is still meant to serve the broader community.

“I would encourage all the people in the community to come out. [The market] is not just for Kaiser Permanente. I want everyone to know this is open to anyone who wants to come,” Malone said.

— Reach Jeff Clemetson at [email protected].