Alex Tomko was just looking for some groceries. He ended up babysitting puppies. 

As a sophomore Chapman University student in 2013, Tomko took a trip one morning to Orange Home Grown (OHG), a farmer’s market that’s set up on Chapman’s campus every Saturday. When he arrived, he noticed a booth called “Park Your Paws,” where volunteers look after customers’ dogs while they shop. Missing his own pup back home, he pounced on the opportunity to volunteer. Now, he runs the station every week and holds an OHG board member position after eight years of volunteering at the market. 

“(My friend and I) missed our dogs back home and wanted to expand our friend group,” Tomko said. “We teach them tricks, positive social behaviors, and when their parents are done shopping, we give them back. Hanging with a bunch of dogs is a really positive way to start your weekend.”

“Park Your Paws” is just one of a variety of booths and experiences offered by OHG. Located on 303 W Palm Ave. in Orange, with temporary COVID-19 hours every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chapman students can explore an array of fresh produce and handcrafted art sold by local farmers and vendors, as well as food trucks, cooking demonstrations and yoga classes. 

Megan Penn, co-founder and executive director of OHG, first decided to bring a farmer’s market to Orange after a positive experience with the concept as a student at California Polytechnic State University. Every Thursday night, Penn and her roommates would go down to the local farmer's market to pick up fresh vegetables, listen to music, and socialize with the community.

“It was such a cool experience for my college life, so when I moved back home, I thought it was weird we didn’t have a farmer’s market (in Orange),” Penn said. “We started doing research, visiting farmer’s markets, talking to our elected officials and meeting with Chapman University officials to figure out if we could actually do this.”

The first OHG farmer’s market was assembled in 2011, and operations were halted last March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned April 18. Over the years, Penn’s goal hasn’t changed. 

“The mission of Orange Home Grown from the very beginning has been to make locally grown food more accessible to our community,” Penn said. “We need to make fresh food available to everybody at as many income levels as possible.”

Brooke Burns, a sophomore screenwriting major, said her roommates used to visit OHG every week when they were still living on campus. 

“It’s always nice to help out,” Burns said. “Technically we’re temporary residents for Orange and they all live here permanently. It’s a good idea to help out the community we’re a part of and support the locals.”

When vendors Mark Lunetto and his brother Joe received a novelty mushroom growing kit six years ago, they fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and began growing variants of mushrooms. Now, they own Fungus Brothers, an urban mushroom growing shop in Santa Ana. OHG has given them the opportunity to sell their product and connect with members of their community, Lunetto said.

“It’s been a lifeline,” Lunetto said. “It’s a great place for a lot of start-up businesses to get exposure and to show up with a nominal fee to sell their produce. It’s a great exposure point for any kind of small business.”

Upon OHG reopening April 18, Penn said OHG received a massive amount of support from the Chapman community.

“When we put out our call for volunteers, we received a huge number of Chapman students that wanted to come out and help,” Penn said. “I will always be grateful for those students for being willing to do that. Without the university, our organization would not be what it is.” 

Tomko told The Panther that OHG reopening was vital during the pandemic, since they are the only option for some members of the community who feel uncomfortable shopping indoors. 

“The farmer’s market is completely outdoors with a lot of ventilation, mask enforcement and social distancing,” Tomko said. “It’s probably one of the safest places to get your produce and groceries in general.”

In an effort to recruit more Chapman students to shop at their farmer’s market, OHG hosted a “Chapman Day” Feb. 7, where the Chapman community was invited to come meet the local farmers and vendors. 

“Folks would show their Chapman ID and they would get a discount, whether it was an extra basket of strawberries or 20% off a kombucha,” Penn said. “It’s a way to get new students that are just moving back (to Chapman) familiar with the market.”

In addition to Chapman Day, OHG has collaborated with Chapman on neighborhood beautification projects to plant a garden in vacant lots and field trips to Chapman’s food science department for OHG’s education farm. They also offer scholarships available to Chapman students studying in the fields of agriculture, culinary, applied sciences, and environmental-related studies. 

Volunteer opportunities are available on their website.