By Jace L.

Gabriel Siciliano is a farm owner who grows fresh produce to sell at farmers markets. His farm is named after his great-grandfather, Abraham Feldsher, who was a Jewish immigrant from Russia. Feldsher fled to the United States in the 1800s because he couldn’t own land in Russia as a Jew. He eventually bought farmland, which was his dream, in Hightstown, New Jersey. Sicilicano now runs the family farm with his mom’s help (plus her dog) to keep his great-grandfather’s memory and efforts alive. 

Siciliano is passionate about his work and how it affects not only his customers, but the world as a whole. Farmers markets are a great way to get fresh produce at a decent price, Siciliano says: “We try and price everything so that we’re still able to stay solvent and stay in business, but we’re able to have folks who may not have quite as much money have access to our produce.” Siciliano believes that as inflation increases, farmers markets are seeming to get more business because they don’t have excess fees such as the ones that are added to the price at a grocery store. Some of these fees are resale and transportation fees, which customers don’t have to deal with when they’re buying straight from the source. 

With the Trump administration proposing a nearly $7 billion reduction in the budget of the United States Department of Agriculture, people like Siciliano rely on customers to keep the farm afloat. “When I go to a farmers market, the customer that I’m looking for is not necessarily someone who’s going to come and spend $100 and I never see them again,” he says. “I’m looking for someone who’s going to come spend $20 every single week for the whole season. And it’s that kind of reliable cash flow that we look for.” Siciliano says that he tries to get to know regulars to show that he cares about who they are as people. 

Siciliano took the time to get to know some of his customers and he found that some were immigrants. “The men, the women, and the other folks who I’ve worked with over the years, you know, whether they’re documented, whether they’re undocumented — are some of the kindest, most hard-working people I’ve ever met and I haven’t heard from a number of these people in quite some time,” he says. He expressed he’s concerned for their safety due to the new immigration policies being put into place by the Trump administration. He considers his regular customers his community and it is tough for him to see harm come to the people he’s grown fond of over time. 

From the customer’s perspective, getting to know the person who sells them cheaper and healthier food is beneficial. They can get any questions they have about quality answered right there through the vendor of the product. They can gain a sense of just how much thought and care is put into the food they’re buying as well. They gain a sense of trust with the vendors that carries into transactions. Trust can lead to friendships such as the ones Siciliano has mentioned. 

One customer, Emma Eisenveil, recognizes vendors from her area at different markets, including Terhune Orchards. Terhune Orchards sells a variety of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, but they are also a winery. “I visit there kind of frequently,” she says. Some customers at the farmers market were asked if they had a favorite vendor or two. “Inside the Columbus Farmer Market there is a toy store,” Leia Acosta says. “I think that’s one of the nicest memories I’ve had because the woman was very sweet to me— she still is.”Acosta explained that when she was growing up, her dad would give her a little bit of money to spend at this toy store almost every weekend. “I saw that as my Toys R Us,” she says. It was clear that she thought of this vendor as a significant part of her childhood. 

Building a space of familiarity can be important for both vendors and customers, several people at the farmers market said. Trusting someone enough to buy groceries from them creates a bond. Being close to a vendor doesn’t necessarily mean knowing how many pets they have, who their uncle is, or being invited to a family wedding. But, for regular customers, it’s still nice to know something about the person who is putting food on their table.