As I walked back to the Mapes Community Garden from the Farmers Market on Tremont, I thought of how Kevin ended our conversation:

Maybe those offers weren’t for me because I turned them down. Making cake isn’t about the money even though the money is nice. It’s about the joy.

Kevin who started baking in his early twenties, stood under the blue tent he shared with La Familia Verde Farmers. Unlike the farmers who were selling fresh fruit and vegetables, the now 64 year old was selling cake and other pastries to the bustling East Tremont community.

Kevin, who is related to Ms. Karen Washington, (the think tank behind community gardens in New York City), supported La Familia Verde Farmers Market from the very beginning. He linked up with Ms. Washington’s team bringing a different product to their farmers market.

Everyone who visits the market can easily see that the entire team of people who run the market, work together for two purposes: to bring joy and better food options to the people of East Tremont.

The Tuesday I stopped by was a perfect market day. The sun was high in the sky and the temperature was just right. The market was busy with shoppers.

I first stopped at Pastor David and Sister Veronica’s table, a husband and wife team whose farm is located in upstate New York. Their booth, I think, is the most popular because it has the most produce from black seeded watermelon to garlic. A young man who resembled Pastor David wore a happy smile while giving me a black plastic bag to collect my items. He confirmed my guess that he was Pastor David’s brother, Paul. Next to him was a young lady who wore a Mary Mitchell tee shirt as well as the other young people working the booth. 

While speaking with Paul, I heard a lot of commotion and looked up to see Louis, a member of La Familia, hurrying past me. Teens wearing “The Bronx is Blooming” tee-shirts, walked excitedly behind Louis declaring how they were going to spend their health bucks (money from the government that locals can spend only on produce from the farm). They formed a line in front of Louis looking down at the red juicy watermelon.

The group of teens had left the council member’s office table that shared recipes and tastings with the community. For each visit to their booth, the community is promised health bucks to spend at the market- along with a light treat.

Brother Paul who was weighing my peaches, stopped what he was doing to supply Louis with a huge watermelon. Louis then cut the fruit up in slices. Everyone in close proximity, watched the cutting. All wondering the same thing- should I buy a slice of watermelon. The line grew longer.

Brother Paul returned to me and rung me up.

I walked the opposite direction from the Watermelon line. It looked tempting but there was no way I was going to lug watermelon home.

Instead, I visited the nearby booths and said hi to community activist associated with the Mary Mitchell Center, Ms. Alayna and Yaya. They help to run the market smoothly by working with willing and able bodied, young people who assist with everything from packing bags to manual labor. Next to them sat Victoria and Nicole keeping tabs on the financial system for the garden. Gardeners and customers were visiting them for change of big bills.

After Ms. Alayna and Yaya hugged me they asked about my family, but kept their eyes on the young people at La Familia Verde’s tent. This made me also turn my attention to the blue tent in the middle of the entrance to Gladwin Park. The young people were working in joy!

Rashaun was pulling boxes from a nearby truck while Andy, Ethan, and Anton were selling produce from the garden- which was going super fast! The line created in front of them consisted of older Spanish speaking women. I secretly consider this tent the sofrito tent because not only are all the main ingredients sold there ( tomatoes, cilantro, parsley and culantro) but I am willing to make a guess that everyone who pull up there know how to make it better than the jars sold at Price Choice. The young people moved quick packing sofrito ingredients as well collard greens, corn, tomatillos, and callaloo in black plastic bags. They knew their herbs and vegetables and were answering questions about the benefits while listening with patience as the older folks made bargains for the produce.

When I approached the tent, I saw some more familiar faces. Young people who I taught a couple of years ago, proudly spoke of their college applications. Ms. Victoria, an original farmer of La Familia Verde hugged me while speaking Spanish, making me laugh and believe for a short time that I really did speak Spanish!

Finally, I stopped at Kevin’s booth, the one who can settle a sweet tooth.

I am a firm believer in saving the best for last, and I think a slice of freshly baked cake can be the best at any farmers market! I was very happy to see him. This was my first stop at the market since the summer began. We stood in the cool breeze speaking about our families and catching up on news.

While we were talking, he had many customers. One lady from the Dominican Republic stopped by with her young daughter and asked Kevin how he was doing. When she heard that he had a death in his family, she told him of her mother passing away and her step-father hospitalization. I took note of how they both spoke with endearments. They were genuinely interested in the health and well being of one another. Kevin remembered her from last summer as well as her stories about her aging parents.

After comforting each other, she reached into her bag and bought cake.

His next visit was from a gentlemen who seemed to be high. He inquired about the price of the cake. When he was told it was $3.00, he told Kevin he only had $2.00; to which Kevin took the $2.00.

Another young man ran to the table. He seemed to be in a rush. After making his purchase, he quickly told Kevin he should sell his cake for $6.00 before jogging back to his car.

Kevin, I asked him, why don’t you increase the price on your product?

Kevin, a retired financial analyst, however, spoke about his true mission and the community he’s serving. Selling my cake for $6.00 would not be beneficial for the East Tremont Community, who will buy it?

I wanted to point out that the last customer suggested it but then thought about the first two.

I am here because of the community. I retired from Wall Street and now I want to do something that I love. I’ve met a lot of people who offered me positions but I like it here.

When Kevin started off, he baked from the box. He did it so well, many assumed he was baking from scratch. As a matter of fact, because so many people were saying it was from scratch, he rose to their standards. Now all of the pastries are made from scratch. He can bake anything from scratch- a birthday cake, Jewish rugelach (my favorite!) and even a three tier wedding cake!

Over time and through word of mouth, Kevin became popular and restaurant owners to movie stars asked him to join their team. However, he turned each one down. Making his purpose clear- he wanted to serve the East Tremont Community.

How much you make out here on any given day? I asked him now knowing about the different offers he turned down.

I don’t know, he said. I never really tallied it because I don’t charge the actual price for my cake. Most places charge a slice of cake for six dollars, and I’m so much lower than that. I did that primarily because of the neighborhood, so it could be affordable for people. I am mindful of the fact that I also have to make a profit putting in the amount of time… [but] as long as I make some sort of profit I am okay. In terms of what I bring in, it varies because every week it’s not the same.

I am not a people’s person, but serving East Tremont has taught me a lot! I learned how to deal with different personalities. I learned how to take rejection, and I learned how to horn my Spanish skills.

It’s true that the taste of his pastries makes Kevin special; but his dedication to the East Tremont Community makes him purposeful. It takes a certain strength to continue to service the people of the Bronx- of East Tremont. One CUNY Historian called the Bronx a stepping stone. It’s a place where people find their footing to bring their business to Brooklyn or Manhattan she explained. This, in many cases is true. Which makes people like Kevin and the entire La Familia Verde team something special.

Every Tuesday Kevin travels a hour from the north Bronx into East Tremont, and sets up his station right in entrance of the park. He sees first hand the dangers and sadness of Tremont Avenue.

It’s interesting, he said, to serve this community because there are a lot of people who like to eat healthy. It’s easy to assume that the diet here is all bad because of what I see, but there are people who come to the market every Tuesday and shop for healthy food. Some days you get a little frustrated because you see a lot of bad things. It makes you discouraged. There is a lot of stuff to see in this neighborhood. It is very neglected. There are those days when I would say, I’m not coming back here because of the negative things I see. But then I meet very positive people who may not have a lot of money, but they come with a good spirit. I think that’s what a Farmers Market does. It tends to bring the best out of people. That’s what I learned from being out here.