A part of Pierce College’s agricultural past has returned with the re-opening of the corner market, located at the southeast corner of De Soto Avenue and Victory Boulevard was around in the ’80s and ’90s, and will again be open until Sept. 15.
“This corner store will be harking back to the farm store that was here years ago,” said Linda Carberry, supervisor of the market.
Currently, there are succulent fresh strawberries right off the vine available for sale.
The market also features fresh oranges and a diversity of plants.
A 20 percent discount is given to all Pierce students.
“I like the fresh air and the interaction with the people. You get to pick things on your own,” said Janice Lim, Pierce student and farm market helper.
Tours are offered to the public on how the strawberries are prepared for sale.
It follows the process from when they arrive in boxes until they are ready for sale.
The tour will also show how the workers pick out the strawberries to see which ones are ready to be eaten and which ones are not. It will also show the necessary steps to protect the strawberries.
The market will also offers field trips for kindergarten through sixth grade students running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
The program will show such things as the stages of making pizza and where the food comes from and how it is grown.
“This program will show how fascinating it is to interact with the crops and animals,” said Cranberry.
People all over the community can walk on by and pick themselves a bushel of them.
In the summertime, more produce will be available such as sweet corn, squash and tomatoes. Other foods such as organic raisins, stuffed olives, avocados and a colorful collection of vegetables and various kinds of fruit will develop as the season continues. It will all depend on the weather, but these products will be expected around June and July.
The market will also feature a pizza farm festival, which should be up and running in a coming weeks.
The market is open everyday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Full- and part-time jobs at the market are now available to students and the community.
Two shifts, which pay $9.25 an hour, are available – from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“I’m looking for people with a lot of enthusiasm, who want to meet people.
“I want people with a smile on their face. I want happy people who will keep the blues at home,” said Carberry.
“This job offers the ability to see customer service in action.
“Working with other people is one of the hardest things to do.”
The morning shift will be in charge of opening the store and the evening shift will be in charge of packing up everything.
“This is a good experience for me in retirement.
“I get a lot of fresh air and meet a lot of younger people,” said Richard Bansbach, a farm market helper.
To apply for a position, contact Linda Carberry at (818) 402-6336.