This week our second graders held a combined class and welcomed a special guest from our school community, Simon Richard, the produce buyer for Bi-Rite Family of Businesses. Simon is a Harvey Milk parent and has been sourcing and growing produce for Bi-Rite Markets for over 15 years.
With a lot of background knowledge about producers and consumers from their time with Ms. Butler, Ms. Reynolds, Ms. Hensen, and Ms. Stuti, the second graders had a lot of questions for Simon. How does food get to the markets? What produce do people buy the most? (Answer: avocados, followed by bananas!) What does Bi-Rite grow at its farm in Sonoma? Where are the farms located that grow produce for Bi-Rite? How important is the way a product looks in order for it to sell well?
Simon spoke about how a typical market operates, the importance of eating with the seasons, highlighted Bi-Rite’s relationships with local farmers, and brought local, organic Kishu mandarins for all of the second graders to enjoy. It was a treat to enjoy produce at the peak of their season!
