At West Wind, we strongly believe in the importance of bringing the community together and showing appreciation to those who make our public markets and drive-ins better, which is why we are launching a Vendor Spotlight series.
Our first spotlight interview was with Arturo Rodriguez, a produce vendor at the Capitol Flea Market. We hope you enjoy!
Arturo has been selling produce at the flea market in the same exact spot for more than 20 years! Sounds impressive, right? What makes it even more impressive is his daily routine.
Arturo typically wakes up at 2:00am…yes you read that right; his day begins while most of us are still sound asleep. He loads his vehicle and makes the three-hour drive from his hometown of Turlock to make it to the market 5:00am - 5:30am to set up.
He then sells until around 2:00pm, sorts through the excess produce to determine what’s good for future use, and hits the road, often not making it back home until 9:00pm.
Sleep is hard to come by, but Arturo loves what he does. When he’s not at the flea market, he enjoys working on his eight-acre farm in Turlock.
“My farm is my hobby, my passion,” he says, smiling from ear to ear.
If you ever find yourself at the Capitol Flea Market in San Jose, be sure to stop by and say hi to Arturo and his wife; preferably on a Thursday or Friday when he says the fruit is freshest.
It was an absolute pleasure getting to know Arturo and hearing his story. He works incredibly hard and loves what he does. We can’t wait to share more stories about the people who make West Wind the place it is today!
