If you are looking for one place that sells Italian, Chinese and Mediterranean food, look right down the street. On top of those cuisines, the farmer’s market in the Oaks Shopping Center sells kiwis, orchids, Fuji apples, persimmons, Kettle popcorn, sour cream coffee cake, sterling silver jewelery and baby clothes.After a two year process with the City of Cupertino, the farmer’s market opened its merchandise to Cupertino six weeks ago. According to the West Coast Farmers Market Association manager, Joe Lami, the company promises to hold its farmers market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., come rain or shine. On Oct. 30, its fifth Sunday, he estimated a total of 3500 shoppers, and every week he sees an increased attraction to the market.According to Lami, this market stands out from others because of their year-round schedule. With the addition of arts and crafts, the market is able to keep stable throughout the fruit off- season. Even more, this market differs from other organic selling grocery stores in that the market is able to cut out the middle men and the resulting cost allocations, an attraction to vendors and customers.

One of the stands, called “Falafel Fresh and Gyros” proudly sells its “Esav’s Porridge.” The soup is made from a 2,000 year old recipe of red lentil, vermicelli noodles, and brown rice. “The rest [of the recipe] is secret,” cook Ibrahim Hamamjy said. To attract high school students, he will give a free soda for every sandwich a student buys that brings a print out of this article.

At the other end, a lady with a witch hat attracts the children of market, allowing them to take never ending samples of her vegetable dips ranging from “Kissed with Sun-Dried Tomato and Bacon” to “Onion Sweet Onion.”

The “LabelGMOs” stand down the path of the market, promoting its “campaign for healthier eating in America.” With brochures about “Non-GMO Shopping Tips” and books about the issue, they move to hold a proposition in the upcoming election that forces companies to label all genetically modified organism products.

“This is not only healthier than mayonnaise,” a vendor at the Mediterranean food stand said to a customer while handing her a sample, “it is also happier.” One of them called over to me: “Send all the high school students over here. We’ll give them all discounts.”

The two men at the Mediterranean food stand continue passing out sample after sample to a large crowd, explaining which sauces the kids will like and which sauces provide just the right tinge of spiciness.

In its hope to become a part of the Cupertino culture, the Oaks Shopping Center Farmers Market provides a wide variety of cuisines, produce, and arts. In the midst of its popularity amongst Cuperitno adults, they are eager to attract the high school population to the weekly Sunday morning Cupertino event.