Update by an edhat reader
December 17, 2025
I saw the edhat post about the food stand on Modoc and Mission and decided to drive by today (December 17). There are about 5 fold up tables full of food, a shelving unit that had flowers, and on the other side of the corner were bags of oranges.
It’s a pretty big operation. A few photos attached.
By an edhat reader
December 12, 2025
It looks like there’s a new mini farmer’s market on W. Mission Street at the corner of Modoc Road in Santa Barbara.
I’ve noticed vendors there in the past with carts or flowers but lately it’s a full blown display with a variety of fruits and vegetables, even jars of honey posted every single day.
I understand that food cart vendors are legal, but is this stand with about four folding tables operating on the public sidewalk somehow permissible? I imagine the homeowners on that corner don’t love it.
They are likely part of the same group that comes up from LA to cook food under tents on the sidewalk. They drop people off to stand there for 8 hours without a break selling their stuff. Unfortunately they are not local, and the food isn’t local either.
so what if its not local. th majority of produce that is purchased on a daily basis from all of our grocery chains come from other states and countries. Griping about produce not being “local” is silly….
Sounds great. It is nice when people in the community come together and offer the fresh produce they grow for their neighborhood. Everyone wins, except may be the miserable person who posted the question and is still searching and has not found a thing that makes the person happy….
Perhaps you should drive by and see if you’d like this outside your front door every day.
pearl clutching much? every day….right….
If you mean an LA neighbor, who drives up and gets food/goods from a wherehouse in downtown LA and marks it up on Mission st. then sweet.
“warehouse”
So that would be a house where wares, i.e., objects o be sold, are stored. Not a “wherehouse”.
Why be troll garbage?
Actually, food cart vendors are not legal unless they have the required permits. Will be interesting to see if this “farmer’s market” meets the same level of rabid screeching and outcry from the white folks here as the taco stands. Doubt it.
Do they have permits displayed?
If they don’t have a permit displayed do you think they should be removed for that reason? Does that make the issue less “racist”? I note that no one has mentioned ethnicity or race in this discussion before you raised it.
Yes. If we’re going to demand taco vendors have permits, so should “farmers markets” like this. You have been a constant vocal critic and complainer of taco stands and now you seem to support this. Why?
I guess you answered my question though. You totally support this. Let me guess, it’s because it’s “fresh” LOL
Pretty chauvinistic there, guy.
There is nothing in the post that supports the presence of this vendor. The comment seems to be that these operations should be controlled/removed from public places regardless of “race” considerations. How can you torture this into such social warfare?
RHS – you mean YOUR comment? What, now you’re pretending it wasn’t you?
Dude, you asked a question. I answered. Now, do you or do you not oppose unpermitted vendors like this as aggressively oppose taco vendors? Yes or no?
Yes.
So why do you insist on beefing with people who agree with you? Sad.
“Beef” with people who agree with me? Haven’t observed that happening,.
This is funny. You reap what you sow.
BASIC – what does that even mean? Pretty clear you don’t understand that phrase. Once again, mindless trolling from you which makes zero sense.
Back in the day, walking to/from La Cumbre JHS, I recall this house was on a large lot. The house on this corner was far back from the street and was surrounded by large round and tall untrimmed bushes on the Mission & Modoc sides. These bushes partially concealed the house. The house wasn’t in very good shape at the time and the yard was a mess. Word was the person(s) in the house would somehow know when kids walked/ran through the yard to taunt people living there and were chased away. I would not want any group of people setting up “shop” on the sidewalk in front of my house to sell anything; and I don’t care who they were or where they came from. Maybe the residents of long away will pay these vendors a visit.
wtf?
This has developed recently, as noted. At first the vendor was actually occupying the sidewalk, blocking its use. Now the stuff is set on the park way which is questionable as well. It seems absolutely incredible that the amount of produce sold would justify the operation. One person just sits there for hours on end. I have not seen anything sold. Previously there was a really skanky hot food operation with a sole vendor mostly sitting around. She had a few customers now and then. The worst was the nightime “restaurant” set up across the street on the public sidewalk at San Pascual and Mission. This repeated occupation of this location does suggest some other purpose here.
I don’t think there’s another purpose. It’s a very busy corner. That’s probably why people pick it. To/from the highway, to/from La Cumbre. The bike path is there, a lot of people on the westside walk places. There’s no nearby grocery store (walkable, anyway). I drive past this corner twice a day…
> This repeated occupation of this location does suggest some other purpose here.
Not to anyone who is rational.
If this was being set up in front of your house everyday, what would you think?
BASIC – as long as I can get in and out of my property, I could care less if people are selling food on the public sidewalk.
Live and let live. Why do so many feel the need to constantly impose and stick their noses in others’ business?
I would think you’re a troll in any case.
you’re literally complaining about someone trying to earn an honest $ by selling fruits and vegis? we have far greater problems here than this
It is presumptious to say this is an “honest” business. Honest business people get permits, pay taxes, protect their workers and pay them minimum wages and rent or own the space they use for their operations. This is the nadir of “free enterprise.” Someone is being exploited at a minimum.
RHS – do you know if they have or need permits? No one has yet established that.
Just took a quick look through the Code cited below and copied a couple areas that may apply:
“The City of Santa Barbara Municipal Code Chapter 9.49 regulates sidewalk vending, establishing rules for both stationary and roaming vendors operating on public sidewalks and pedestrian pathways – Sidewalk vendors who sell food must provide a trash receptacle for customers, if they are a stationary food vendor,
they must be within 200 feet of a readily available toilet with handwashing facilities.”
RHS a permit for selling a handful of produce? LOL ok….
and yeah it’s an honest earning no matter what you say. would you prefer people selling cigarettes? drugs? guns? pirated product? he’s selling grapes and lettuce. get over it! seriously some of you are so out of touch with reality and just want to get on here and whine and complain about everything everyone else is doing. it’s a bit much.
These pop up produce stands are part of california and have been around the 55 years i’ve been on this globe. there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. go be a grinch somewhere else
LOL we have a neighborhood Sherlock here I guess! Driving by and taking photos (illegal) so we can all see this scourge on our society.
Taking photos while driving is a FAR bigger danger to our community than a produce stand.
dude you nailed it 100%
committing an offence which could have killed or maimed someone, just to be a grinch about some dude trying to feed himself and his kids by selling produce. my god what ever will we do!?!? *gasp*