Fruit choices have expanded to include locally grown Israeli melons, cantaloupe, watermelons, blueberries, plums, pears, grapes, figs, and apples. This might be the last week for peaches, so buy them now.

A wide variety of brightly colored summer vegetables, greens, and fresh herbs are available. Customers who think eggplant is only large and purple need to check these out at the market. Local eggplant varieties go from deep purple to lavender to white, large to small, round to narrow, long, and curved, and include Chinese, nubia, dancer, galine, ichiban, and ping tung long. Another interesting item of note is sweet potato greens for use in smoothies.

Non-produce items include pastured beef, lamb, pork, and chicken raised on a natural diet. Free range eggs, Artisan cheeses, butter, Gulf seafood, honey, a large variety of small batch prepared foods, snacks and desserts, mixes, lemonade and coffee, popsicles, vinegar and olive oil along with doggie treats, soaps and lotions.

Several producers use market ingredients to make seasonal jams, entrees, side dishes, baked goods, popsicles, and lemonade sold at the market.

We recommend that you look in detail at a different artisan food vendor booth each week. Many have unexpected surprises.

Some customers are making several trips to their cars each Saturday to carry their goodies. Free help is available. Find the Veggie Valet on both the east and west sides of the market to keep your purchases while you pull your car up close for loading. Find the bins on carts and ask a National Honor Society teen how it works. They are there to help you out.

Please note that we are a local, seasonal farmers market; meaning that our farmers bring only what is ripening in their fields each week and some produce is short lived due to a short growing season. Eating with the seasons takes education, awareness and patience! For a chart of what’s in season now, click here. Our farmers use various growing methods. Some produce is organic (not certified), some is sustainable, and some is grown conventionally. Just ask the farmers.