Farmers markets are not folksy hangouts for the bourgeois. They’re not tote-bag fashion shows or live-action Tinders for food snobs. They are absolutely essential for our local farm community, the security of our local food system, and our health.

Farmers need to sell this food to not go broke. Local families need nutrient-dense food (nutrients start evaporating the second you pick it from the ground, so local is almost always better). And we need to make sure local food systems don’t crash and burn during a pandemic.

And now our main one in San Diego @LIMercato has reopened, retrofitted for pandemic. Socially distanced. One person per household. No snuggling near the avocados. One-touch outdoor grocery shopping. You point at what you want, the farmer picks a ripe one and puts it in the bag.

Every city should do this. Support small farmers. Secure local food systems. Get real, nutrient-dense, damn good food.