Mercado al Aire Libre brings free, fresh produce to Boyle Heights families

With the rising cost of groceries and an increased need for food assistance in communities that rely on SNAP benefits, one local effort is stepping up to help families make ends meet. 

“Mercado al Aire Libre,” a free, farmers market-style food distribution, is giving residents access to fresh, seasonal produce — and a chance to connect with local health and community organizations.

Held at the Salesian Family Youth Center, the mercado takes place on the first and second Wednesdays of every month, offering a variety of in-season fruits and vegetables free of charge. Families can also enjoy food demonstrations and learn more about the resources provided by a rotating list of local community organizations. 

“I think it’s important to have this in Boyle Heights because it helps out those families that are struggling to make ends meet,” said Celene Rodriguez, administrative program manager for Su Salud Está En Sus Manos, a community public health initiative that launched in 2023. 

Since it began, the group has surveyed thousands of households in Boyle Heights to assess their needs and found food insecurity to be one of their top concerns. 

“There’s times where [families] struggle to make that decision, whether they pay a bill or they pay to get groceries,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think that should be something a family should struggle to make a choice on.”

That need sparked a collaboration between Su Salud Está En Sus Manos with Seeds of Hope, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles that “seeks to cultivate wellness in our communities.” Seeds of Hope will provide produce for the food distributions through October of 2026. 

The first mercado kicked off last Wednesday, when 95 families went home with bananas, potatoes, tomatoes and lychee, among other produce, but Rodriguez says the group aims to serve up about 200 families at every distribution. 

Join the mercado