Swinging Bananas Farmers Market is located at 1052 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Oakland Park, FL 33334. You may have passed by the Hummer with the “Tomatoes” banner on your way eastbound down Oakland Park Boulevard by now, but if you haven’t, you should soon. On my first visit, meeting with owners Maria and Alexa Habe (mother and daughter), I was greeted with a friendly hello and offered a shopping bag.
Alexa and her mother work at the market daily, which for now, is open from around 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., though they don’t shut the doors at closing time. If people are still coming in and shopping, they pretty much stay open until the crowd thins.
The market is the idea of Chris Habe, Alexa’s father, who has been in the produce market for many years. Chris Habe finds products at rock bottom prices throughout the year and passes on the savings to the community.
The day I went, a Sunday mid-day, organic mixed salads, typically around $5.99 and up, were selling for a mind-boggling buy one get one free for $1.00. Smiles abounded as customers came and went, some floored at the prices. Customer Mercy Lopez, who was checking out with two full bags of produce for $5.00 total, said, “I am so excited. I’m definitely coming back. I’m absolutely thrilled they are here.”
Rhiannon Samoyedny was born and raised in South Florida. She has lived in Oakland Park for over 25 years and purchased her home in Garden Acres in 2012 where she resides with her husband, two teenaged boys, a few rescue cats, and her dog.
Her professional career began as a project manager and estimator for a small Oakland Park construction company and she later went on to earn her degree in Court Reporting, where she later incorporated her own small business RS Reporting, Inc.
She has a passion for gardening and attends many horticulture classes and workshops. She is also an LGA (Local Government Academy) graduate, class of 2019, and an active community volunteer and activist. You can usually find her around town at various Oakland Park meetings and events with her notebook, so be sure to say hello.
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