Orange, red, green: colorful reopening of Kaiser Permanente Farmers Market

There were bins of bright citrus and a table covered with pints of deep red strawberries, as the annual Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center opened its Farmers Market for the season April 6, 2016.

Facilitated by the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, the market will set up every Wednesday until October in the courtyard between the Cypress and Oak Medical Buildings in the heart of the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Campus.

The Farmers Market is open to the public, and Kaiser Permanente Redwood City physicians, staff, and members.

Dr. Tim Wong, an endocrinologist and physician-leader at the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City hospital, stopped to purchase some containers of home-made hummus.

“I usually buy some and leave it out for the staff to snack on in our office coffee room,” said Dr. Wong. “It’s organic, healthy, and tastes great.”

Next to the hummus vendor was a vendor selling a variety of organic granolas.

A Central Valley farmer displayed a large selection of organically-grown vegetables.. A steady stream of customers bought leeks, mushrooms, and more.

“Broccoli. I love broccoli,” said Dr. Sarah Beekley, a hospital-based pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City. She bought a bag a of broccoli crowns.

“This is so convenient,” she said. “I can take a ten minute break and buy lots of healthy organic produce.”

The Farmers Market has been at Redwood City every spring-summer season since 2005. The Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association facilitates the program there and at Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers all across Northern California. Farmer’s Markets are part of the “Thrive” mission of Kaiser