Betsy Elliott (Kneeling kale, front left) and Megan Penn (white cowboy hat, kneeling above banner) were childhood friends since attending Holy Family School.  Seventeen years ago, a casual conversation at the Plaza led to what would eventually become Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market.

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Seventeen years ago, Betsy Elliott and childhood friend Megan Penn discussed a shared dream—a farmers market in Orange.

“Megan said, ‘Maybe we could start one,’” Elliott recalls.  “And I said, ‘Let me know how I can help.’”

A month later in May 2009, a small group gathered in Elliott’s backyard.  Armed with clipboards and a copy of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, the founders spent two years navigating the legal hurdles to form the nonprofit Orange Home Grown (OHG) Foundation.  This year, the organization celebrates its 15th anniversary hosting the Saturday Farmers & Artisans Market.

The journey wasn’t easy. During their first year, attendance dwindled as winter approached.

“Research shows new farmers markets usually fail within a year,” says Elliott.  “As we headed into our first winter as a market, we saw people waiting to come in, and we realized we were going to make it.”

Gaytan Family Farm has been there every Saturday since the very first farmers market on May 7, 2011.

“What makes a difference in this farmers market is the community feeling,” says Maricela Gaytan, whose farm sells produce, with berries and salsas being the most popular items.  “There’s a unique culture in Orange.  Being there makes us feel like a part of it.  As we have seen the market grow, we have seen families grow.

Today, the market is a Saturday staple in the parking lot across from Chapman University’s Marion Knott Studios and in the 300 block of Palm Ave., but OHG has grown beyond produce stalls.  The organization now operates an educational urban farm, a youth food literacy program for high schoolers, and has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to students pursuing fields in agriculture and nutrition.  They also have an annual Farm to Table dinner as their primary fundraiser.

Elliott, who oversees the monthly Kids Club at the farmers market, has found the most joy in watching the community evolve.

“Something I didn’t expect is being a part of the community and watching families and their children grow over 15 years,” she says.

Whether it’s the live music, the fresh produce, cheese, baked goods, coffee, oils and other delights from dedicated farmers, or the artisans’ rotating artistic wares, such as jewelry and art, the market has cemented itself as the destination for homegrown goodness.

For Elliott, a lifelong Orange resident, the market’s success is a testament to the town she loves.  “I love that I feel like I live in a small city, even though I don’t,” Elliott says.  “It’s just a nice friendly place to live.  I’m happy to have a positive place to come every Saturday morning, where you always leave happier than when you came.”

The Farmers & Artisans Market runs every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 am to 1 pm.

Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market
303 West Palm Ave., Old Towne Orange , CA 92866