Meet the people behind your favorite market finds. Learn the stories of the farmers, bakers, roasters and food producers who grow, raise and make the fresh, local products you'll discover at Fairfax County Farmers Markets.
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Meet the people behind your favorite market finds. Learn the stories of the farmers, bakers, roasters and food producers who grow, raise and make the fresh, local products you'll discover at Fairfax County Farmers Markets.
Say hello to Archana Sikri, the owner and chef of Samkara Foods! Archana’s love for cooking began at home, watching her mother and grandmother prepare traditional Indian meals. The more she helped in the kitchen, the more her passion for cooking grew. At age 9, Archana cooked her first meal, lentils and rice, which remains her favorite meal to make today! After moving to the U.S., she wanted to share her love for warm, home-cooked meals and began an online store. For the past four years, Archana has been at our markets with dishes prepared with the same care as she would for her own family.
Samkara sources produce locally from fellow Lorton vendor Ochoa Farm, allowing new dishes to be added to the menu as the seasons change. Archana carefully designs each recipe so the vegetables hold their flavor and texture, even after reheating. Dishes from Samkara are simply prepared and unlike anything you can find in the grocery store. Archana offers classic Indian dishes such as tari wala chicken (chicken curry), chole (chickpea curry) and saag paneer (spinach curry). She also offers homestyle meals such as lentils with cabbage and squash with potatoes. From Archana’s home to yours!
Find Samkara Foods at the Lorton Market.
Meet Steven Chang, the owner of Uncle Ping’s Street Foods. Steven has a strong passion for reimagining Taiwanese flavors and proudly carries on his family’s legacy with every dish he makes. He grew up watching his parents work in the food industry, and they taught him much of what he knows about being a chef and an entrepreneur. Still, Steven did not step into the world of food and farmers markets until 2023, when he decided to make a career change.
What started as a whim has grown into a thriving business. Inspired by longtime food stalls in Taiwan and the drive he saw in his immigrant parents, Steven is bringing an authentic dumpling stand to local farmers markets. Uncle Ping’s is a vision born and built by Steven, who wanted to honor his roots.
Steven carefully crafts his recipes by sourcing his meats locally, marinating his fillings for 24 hours and hand-folding more than 1,000 dumplings each week. He offers a variety of frozen dumplings (including a vegetarian option), chili crisp oil, a frozen pulled pork sandwich kit and more.
Find Uncle Ping’s at the Annandale, Kingstowne and Burke Farmers Markets.
Say hello to Oriella Zuccarello! Representing the rich food scene of Sicily and moms everywhere, Sicilian Mom brings authentic Italian goodies to your local market. Beginning her journey this past January, Oriella took her family recipes and created a business that not only feeds the community but also celebrates it.
Oriella founded Sicilian Mom to honor local heroes who are otherwise overlooked — mothers. With this mission, she also offers gluten-free menu items and other allergen accommodations for families in need. Sicilian Mom is also dedicated to honoring and recognizing local heroes such as teachers, nurses and military personnel by hosting a free monthly catered lunch or dessert party. To Oriella, this is just a small “thank you” for all the hard work they do for our community.
With Sicilian Mom, Oriella honors local heroes with authentic Italian foods. She offers frozen arancini, cannoli kits, homemade ricotta, vegetarian lasagna and more. This is her first year with us — please give her a warm welcome!
Find Sicilian Mom at the Burke, Herndon and McLean Farmers Markets.
Meet Gustavo Gutierrez! Based in Montgomery County, Maryland, Gustavo is the founder of Amazonica Coffee Espresso Bar, a business that began as a personal passion project in 2018. He taught himself the craft after investing in a commercial roaster and experimenting with different techniques to perfect his roast.
Amazonica’s beans come directly from the Ramos Garcia family farm in Huaranchal, Perú — a region well-known for its coffee. Over the last couple years, Gustavo has visited the farm, learned more about the harvesting process and is developing a strong bond with the family.
Gustavo has been serving customers at our markets since 2025 from his solar-powered coffee cart, built right into his car. He offers hot and iced espresso drinks, cold brew, decaf coffee, teas and whole bean coffee.
Find Amazonica Coffee at the Herndon, McLean and Lorton Farmers Markets.