Modesto farmers market opens Thursday

The Modesto Certified Farmers Market will launch its 37th year Thursday with cool-season crops and other food and fun.

The market will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays on a closed-off block of 16th Street.

John Bava, a vendor for the past decade, will start off with onions, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables that have been growing over the market’s winter hiatus.

“A lot of people are glad to see us,” he said Tuesday. “There are relationships that vendors have with people who come back.”

The market will feature fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, jam, cheese, cooked food, crafts and other items. Early spring brings plenty of greens, while late spring starts the cascade of cherries, peaches, plums and other produce. Bava said his three small farms – about a dozen acres total on Modesto’s fringes – will yield tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables as the weeks go on.

The market, founded in 1979, was among the leaders in the revival of the direct-to-consumer marketing that farmers had done for centuries. It also is among the first to open each year among the dozens of seasonal markets in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and nearby Sierra Nevada counties. The Merced Certified Farmers Market operates Saturday mornings year-round.

Marie Uber, manager of the Modesto market, said the recent warm weather likely will mean early crops of cherries and blueberries.

Thursday’s launch will feature music by Stephen Bernd and drawings for market gift certificates. Saturday will be the grand opening, with music by Fred McCarty, an Easter egg hunt and photos with the Easter Bunny.

Uber said the market once again will have tours for school groups, including scavenger hunts for clues that test children’s knowledge of farming and healthy eating. More crafts for kids are planned throughout the season.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Modesto farmers market opens Thursday."