How the Encino Farmers Market supports community across generations

By Jenna Jarrah

Every Sunday, ONEgeneration’s Encino Farmers Market has as many as 1,300 local residents stop by. The market, which is open from eight in the morning to one in the afternoon rain or shine, is a great way to get together with family or friends on a Sunday.

With over 30 certified organic farmers from Central and Southern California, in-season fruits and vegetables are in no short supply. Boutique vendors are lined up to sellhandmade goods like flowers, candles and creams. Other vendors prepare street food that reflects the diversity of the San Fernando Valley, and live entertainment from local bands ties it all together, making the Encino Farmers Market a joyous ritual.

Founded in 1978, ONEgeneration is a nonprofit that provides a variety of intergenerational community services for seniors, children, and families. The proceeds of the Encino farmers market helps to support the organization’s free services, including two senior centers, meal delivery to homebound older adults, and a senior and childcare center.

“It is our hope that the Encino Farmers Market continues to provide access to local, fresh produce and goods to our community, while supporting the various programs and services at ONEgeneration, which serve over 10,000 older adults, children, and families each year,” said Natasha Levy, the manager of the farmers market.

Thirty-two years ago, the founders of ONEgeneration were figuring out how to put a seven acre lot of land on their premises to its best use. So they had the idea to start a farmers market.

“We decided to create a farmers market because the opportunity was there. There wasn’t a current market in that location. And there was a need,” said Jenna Hauss, president and CEO of ONEgeneration.

Today, the Encino Farmers Market takes place on ONEgeneration’s JOY (Joining Old and Young) 7-acre Intergenerational Shared Site Campus.

The intergenerational shared site brings together children ages zero to five and older adults with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, to create relationships thatintertwine the “human needs for both giving and receiving” and enrich lives in a space of empathy, compassion, and reduced ageism.

The commitment to intergenerational adult and child care in a shared setting is the foundation to ONEgeneration’s values and at the heart of their mission in supporting thecommunities they serve.

And much of this has been made possible through the success of the market. Hauss noted, “the Encino Farmers Market brings value not only to our local farmers andgrowers, but also to our local community, including those more vulnerable and underserved.”