JEDDAH: The farmers market at Hayy Jameel, which took place from June 22-23 and boasted more than 16 vendors, was organized by Art Jameel and Azka Foods in Jeddah.

The market offered an array of activities such as film screenings, workshops by Aysh Academy, cookery classes, and talks. A day trip to a farm in Al-Hada, Taif — specializing in berries and seasonal fruits — provided a highlight, giving visitors the chance to gain a deeper understanding and first-hand experience of local food sources.

Antonia Carver, the director of Art Jameel, said that the market nourished the Jeddah community while encouraging individuals to make conscious choices to positively impact the environment and transform everyday life.

The main aim of the event was to inspire those attending to establish connections with local producers, chefs, and entrepreneurs who share their passion for sustainability, local growth, and the reduction of waste.

Ahmad Zaki Kamel, the founder of Azka Foods, said: “We started our collaboration with Hayy Jameel last year and hope to continue having regular markets in the future to provide an opportunity for partnering local farms and producers to engage with the community.”

He said the objective was to spread awareness of healthy food grown and cultivated locally and in a sustainable way to help make it an essential part of healthy living.

Al-Zahraa Al-Maddah, marketing executive at Mishkat Agritech Farms, said: “We grow nutritionally dense and long-lasting vegetables and fruit indoors all year round using a proprietary hydroponics system which uses up to 95 percent less water, and zero pesticides.

“Our participation in the farmers market is to not only educate people on healthy and organic eating, but also to acknowledge our dedicated farmers who are producing and delivering fresh food from seed to table. We want to help people understand the values behind each product we are selling.”

Fahad Al-Raddadi, another of the participating vendors and CEO and co-founder of Naqwat Al-Nanaa, said: “We aim to organize the farmers market more often and have the farmers scale up their production so they can meet their consumers’ needs.

“If we offer them the opportunity to sell vegetables on certain days and in certain locations, this will encourage the farmers and motivate them to grow organic vegetables in abundance.”

Saeed Badghaish, the founder of Bee Ways, said: “Our honeycomb wax is used for products that offer an effective cosmetic solution for skin nourishment, and can be used for other household products as well.

“Through this market we are educating people on the benefits of beeswax.”

Fatimah Mohammed, who was visiting the event for the first time, said: “I enjoyed buying and learning about the organic vegetables and meat directly from the vendors.

“Everything was fresh and delicious, at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere was wonderful and I hope we have frequent farmers markets in the city.”