Renegades were given the opportunity to start the new semester with healthy food options with the help of Murray Family Farms.
Bakersfield College and Murray Family Farms hosted a farmers’ market at Renegade Crossings located near the free speech area on campus on Jan. 21.
Farmer Jovan Rader, 26, was working the stand as students purchased and asked questions about the produce he placed for sale.
“It’s been a great turnout so far. I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people… A lot of this is not what people see everyday, so it’s pretty cool to see how as soon as people learn about a product, they buy it,” Rader said.
Rader sold mostly citrus and some baked goods. Beyond oranges and lemons, there were a variety of products. Most of the questions students asked were about a fruit named Buddha’s hand.
“It’s basically like a lemon without any fruit inside, but it’s not a hybrid of anything… tastes kind of like a lemon-flavored jicama,” Rader said about the Buddha’s hand.
As she browsed, nursing student Stephanie Ramirez, 19, said, “I think it’s cool seeing all the different foods that are here. Like I’ve never seen that one before,” Ramirez said as she pointed to a Buddha’s hand. She added that it was convenient to have the farmers market come to BC as opposed to having to go to one herself.
Psychiatric technician major Abigail Hellman, 19, purchased fruit from the stand, and said she was most looking forward to everything unusual.
Hellman added, “I like it. It’s really cool. It’s just healthier. I’ve never tried like half of these things… I would definitely buy more if this happened again.”
According to Rader, Murray Family Farms plans on returning to BC the third Wednesday of every month. Their long-term affiliation with BC will depend on how well business goes within the next few months.

[Photos By Joe Bergman]