What do you get when you mix an outdoor market, workshops on healthy eating and food justice? A Phat Beets farmers’ market. This new farmers’ market officially opened on Saturday in the parking lot behind the Arlington Medical Center on 57^th and Market Streets. For the volunteer collective that helped organize the event, Phat Beets Produce, and their partner, North Oakland Pediatrics, this market is more than just buying food locally—it’s about education, health and the community.

“Our whole mission is to bring small farmers and farmers of color to urban communities,” said Max Cadji, the food system coordinator for Phat Beets Produce. “We are trying to focus on lots of stuff that’s relevant to the community.”

Not only is fresh, local and organic produce for sale but there’s also live music, face painting, educational booths about food, health and nutrition, anti-police brutality workshops and free cooking demos. The organizers say their goal is make all food for sale affordable—prices are kept low and all vendors accept WIC vouchers.

“It’s not that people don’t want to eat healthy,” said Jen Matthews, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital in Oakland who is also working on the Phat Beets market, “it’s that it can be hard to find affordable healthy food.”

A few months ago, Matthews was approached by Dr. Gary Bean, who runs the Arlington Medical Center, who wanted to know if she’d be interested in helping start this farmers’ market. She jumped on board and believes that it will be a success in the neighborhood “because the community is so ready for this kind of stuff,” she said. “It makes our job easier.”

The Phat Beets farmers’ market will now be a permanent fixture behind the Arlington Medical Center every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.

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How’s the recent spate of bad weather effecting Oakland’s outdoor farmers markets? Take a trip to the Old Oakland Farmer’s Market with Patrick Kollman on a wet, windy day to find out.

Kollman shot this film on March 12 — and it looks like another wet week ahead for the Bay Area, so bring your umbrella if you’re planning on any outdoor produce shopping soon.

Next Sunday, while you’re out shopping for pumpkins and tomatoes at the Temescal farmers market, you can also look out for Rick to get a quick, free bike tune-up. He bikes in with all his tools, pumps and work-stand on his hitch and he seems to do it all for the love of bikes–lucky us. Here are a few pictures of the man at work:

By STEVE SALDIVAR

Patients and doctors at Children’s Hospital are now meeting Tuesdays at the new farmer’s market that takes place from 2 to 7 in the parking lot.

Jen Cook, a pediatrician there, teamed up with Brett Bennner from Phat Beets, on Mandela Parkway, to establish the market.

Doctors and patients are excited about the farmer's market outside the Children's Hospital.

Cook was inspired after seeing the market at Kaiser in Oakland.

“A light bulb went off. It makes total sense,” said Cook. “A hospital is a place of healing and health. A lot of the things we do are after the fact and it just made sense to me to have one accessible in the neighborhood.”

Although the market is small, with only two farmers, Cook still sees it as a benefit.

“We have families whose kids are chronically ill and they’re here in the hospital for two or three months,” said Cook.  “If they can go out and get something fresh is a bonus.”

Moreover, she added, this is only the beginning. If all goes as planned, the farmer’s market will become part of the hospital’s Healthy Hearts program, a series of workshops where parents and children learn about fitness, nutrition and healthy eating. Dr. Lydia Tinajero-Deck, a pediatrician in the obesity prevention clinic, will administer the workshops and at the end of each session she will  distribute vouchers that parents can use at the market..

“It’s hard for a lot of our patients here to get fresh produce that’s affordable,” said Geetika Sengupta, a doctor who is completing her residency. “We tell them they should eat healthy but they can’t because they can’t afford it or it’s not accessible. Now they can.”

The new market joins at least seven in Oakland, including those at Grand Lake, Jack London Square, Temescal, East Oakland, Kaiser and Alameda Farmers Market.

Marlinda Watson found out about the market through a flyer at the hospital’s cafeteria.

“I’ve seen plenty of hot dog people come and go,” said Watson, who has worked at Children’s hospital for 25 years. “But never the fresh fruit. I love it. Now we wait for them to come on Tuesdays.”

There’s almonds, peaches, plums; an ideal lunch break. Located behind the Outpatient Center, workers brush their blinds aside to see the fresh produce. Many on Tuesday came down to grab a bag full of peaches.

At the empty hot dog stand across the street, Ameer Bakhtaly said he’s not worried about the competition because the market only operates one day a week.

“It’s a little slow right now,” said Bakhtaly who has been selling hot dogs, Cheetos and soda there for five months. “But every business is like this.”

Nurses in scrubs picked up bouquet of organic flowers. Some passed through, snatched a peach and, without giving it a second thought, give it a bite.

“I’m just a pediatrician, I don’t know how to start a farmers market,” said Cook, who cites Phat Beets Produce as part of the produce stand’s success.

Completely run by volunteers, Phat Beets holds fundraisers and receives small grants to recruit students in North Oakland to hold conversations about nutritious eating. They also connect small farmers in local communities.

“Having it at the hospital is great,” said Brett Benner, manager of Fresh Beets. “The best kind of healing is access to fresh produce.”

As he walked through the farmer’s market Benner’s dreadlocks were held together by a bandana and his baggy cargo pants swayed in the wind.

“It’s a great location for the community we want to serve,” said Benner.

Karina Rodriguez, 30, goes to the Fruitvale Farmers Market regularly and found the one outside the Children’s Hospital after taking her four-year-old daughter Breanna to get a sling for her broken arm.

“I like this fruit better,” said Rodriguez. “I go to Mexican stores and they make promises that they’re fresh and sweet but they’re never either.”

Rodriguez said she liked that the market allows her to mix and match different fruit-a  rare option in other farmers markets.

“I’ve always loved healthy food and encourage my daughter to do it, too,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez grabbed a bag of fruits and as she headed for her car. Her daughter, in a sling, ran toward the almonds. She pleaded for a $5 bag but stopped after her mother gave her a peach.

While Leslie Juarez, 7, played with a new toothbrush the hospital has given her, her mother begins to fill a bag with plums.

“They need to see how important is to eat healthy,” said Rosea Juarez, who was exiting the hospital when the farmers market caught her eye.

“Farmers markets are so far away but when I see one, I flag it down and go there. They’re so good and cheap. It’s worth the trouble,” said the Berkeley resident.

Cook and Phat Beets is working on accepting EBT and WIC coupons within a month. Both are nutritional programs run by the federal government that help low income women and children .

Cook said she looked forward to expanding the hours. “I hope we can have it more days. We hope this becomes part of people’s lives.”