As Erinesha Hamilton set up the sign-in table for the opening of the Porters Quarters Community Farm Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoon, her 3-year-old daughter, Ava, ran around in her oversized latex gloves trying to sell her homemade lemonade.
Residents of all ages were greeted by the young girl and tempted to refresh themselves with the drink as they walked around the 16 vendor tables selling clothing, jewelry, books and desserts, among other products, at the Porters Quarters Community Farm Farmers Market.
“It’s a long name, but I feel like every component of it was important,” said Hamilton, who was organizing the event.
Harvest festivals are common in the Porters community, but this event is the first of many held in the historically Black neighborhood.
The market is held inside the Porters Quarters community garden across from the Porters Community Center. The vendors filled the garden with their tents, tables and services to create the pop-up farmers market.
Hamilton said she views the farmers market as a way to reconnect the community – especially younger generations – to agriculture and the history and culture of Porters Quarters.
She said she aims to work through her organization Sliick Garden to educate the younger generations as the neighborhood continues to evolve.
“From a history perspective, a lot of times young people are like, ‘I’m not trying to go work out in the sun for hours,’” Hamilton said. “But there is no culture without agriculture.”
Hamilton’s organization, Sliick Garden, is a non-profit devoted to hands-on learning and empowering youth to embrace the community network and preserve Porters Quarters’ history.
“We want this community to be what it used to be, which is your neighbor passes, you speak,” Hamilton said.
Adrian Gent Sr., the kitchen manager of Porters Quarters Community Kitchen, grew up in Gainesville. He said he has seen the community and its people change over time, but the community garden has always been a place he returns to.
“It’s like a safe space,” Gent said. “A space that everybody can come to and leave all the outside problems.”
Gent said he admired the turnout at Wednesday’s farmers market. He said he stayed on his feet for the entire three-hour event, taking time to connect with family, friends and new faces in the community.
Just six hours prior, Gent worked in the garden with master farmer Otis Garrison to prepare for the event. Now, he stood in the same garden filled with a crowd of people connecting and learning.
“This is the life we want to bring back into the neighborhood,” Gent said, observing the interactions of people throughout the venue as two young children ran through the garden and vending tables.
The two kids eventually ran to their mother, Neysa Rose, asking for money to buy lemonade from Ava. The kids ran directly to the stand with the $20 bill waving in the air.
Rose said she felt comfortable allowing her kids to roam free and interact with the community members and the other children.
“It’s such a strong family energy.” said Rose, who is not a resident of Porters. “I am definitely moving out here.”
Rose said she decided she wants to live there after connecting with the environment and people two months ago.
The history of Porters Quarters lives through its current residents and those who take the time to engage with the neighborhood. Garrison noted that most people coming to Porters are young adults.
“It’s a much younger school-age population that is coming out into the Porter community,” he said. “Not so many that I see are truly organic to the community.”
Garrison said he is amazed by the curiosity of students and how many are interested in the community.
Rihannon O’Donnell, 22, a student at the University of Florida, works closely with Florida Community Innovation to connect with communities like Porters. Florida Community Innovation is a non-profit that encourages students to address issues in society.
O’Donnell’s role in this non-profit is focused on the rise of gentrification in Gainesville and the concerns that come with it, which is what brought her to the Porters community.
O’Donnell and her peers from Florida Community Innovation worked alongside Hamilton to help run the farmers market.
While signing people in, O’Donnell found time to talk with community members and vendors, which she said is a moment she never regrets.
O’Donnell encourages students to not view Gainesville as a place to live for a few years for an education but to take the time to learn more about the city beyond the college town.
“It’s important to learn how to be a good neighbor to the people around us,” she said. “Don’t be scared to have conversations with people.”
The farm works closely with youth to ensure community bonding and preserve the skills that have been prevalent for years in the area.
Workshops and markets like this one help shift the mindset of future generations about agriculture, Hamilton said.
Although Hamilton is not a Gainesville native, she has chosen to raise her daughter in Gainesville because she believes Ava will find roots here.
“I want her to be rooted in a community that has history, but that also has a future.” Hamilton said.
As Porters Quarters continues to undergo renovation and gentrification, its strength in agriculture and self-sufficient farming to provide the people a taste of authentic Gainesville remains a goal, Garrison said.
The next two markets in the community will be held on March 26 and April 26. As Hamilton packed up the event, she was already planning how to improve the next market.
“This really encourages us to continue to do this work,” she said. “I feel great!”