Farmers’ market

Most towns in California have one or more weekly farmers’ market. Some are year-round, other are seasonal.

The history of California’s farmers’ markets is defined by a shift from strict commercial regulations to a consumer-driven direct marketing revolution.

In 1977 during the “Peach Revolt,” frustrated growers, facing a surplus and a cannery strike, dumped rotting fruit on the state capitol steps to protest wasteful regulations.

In response, Governor Jerry Brown signed an executive order followed by the legislature’s Direct Marketing Act of 1977. This landmark legislation created the Certified Farmers’ Market (CFM) program, exempting farmers from strict packaging requirements and allowing them to sell directly to the public provided they grew the products themselves.

While the law passed in 1977, the movement began slightly earlier in Davis, where community activists and University of California Davis students defied the status quo and started what is likely the first farmers’ market. It was supported by the newly formed Davis Food Co-Op, which pledged to buy unsold goods, reducing risk for farmers.

The California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets was founded in 1994 to support market managers and advocate for growers.

Now well established, the program has matured into a massive network with over 650 certified markets and 2,700 producers statewide, with about 60% operating year-round. Recent legislation (2024) has even expanded the program to include Certified Mobile Farmers’ Markets, allowing producers to sell at multiple locations along a registered route.

People find farmers markets attractive primarily for their high produce quality and strong community connection. Shoppers generally value the ability to buy fresh, seasonal, and often organic fruits and vegetables directly from growers, allowing for unique interactions where vendors share cooking tips and insights on heirloom varieties not found in grocery stores.

Beyond food, these markets serve as social hubs that revitalize downtown areas and foster local economic resilience. They offer a quintessentially Californian experience featuring live music, artisan goods, and prepared foods, creating a festive atmosphere where neighbors gather, people-watch, and support small businesses in a welcoming, outdoor setting.

It remains a mystery why this one stand is so popular

On this market there is one produce stand that seems more popular than the others offering similar produce. They have a relatively small stand with just two products.

P & K Farms is a family farm that, like the others market participants, strives to provide high quality & flavorful fruit for the surrounding communities. They operate on approximately 25 acres.

The farm was established in 1994 by Paul and Kim Tao and is located in the Castroville hills overlooking Elkhorn Slough in central California near the Pacific Ocean coast. P & K Farms grows high quality and certified organic strawberries and blueberries. Their first organic strawberries and blueberries were harvested in 2005. By 2013, 100% of the farm transitioned to organic. You can find their three children Steven, Melissa, & Alex at the farmers markets helping the family business out.

I ask Melissa why their stand at a local farmers market just about always has customers lining up around the corner. She isn’t sure. I speculate:

• Being a mom and pop farm instills a romantic attraction to customers? But surely there are other small farms on this market.
• Having just the 2 berry produce might have something to do with it. Specialization leading to higher quality, perhaps?
• Customer discussions frequently highlight the distinct taste of P & K’s Albion strawberries and Highbush blueberries compared to other market offerings.
• Loyalty and habits of locals?

P & K Farms relies almost entirely on selling berries at farmers’ markets and every week they go to at least 8 markets when they have produce to sell. Additionally some local supermarkets carry their berries.

Imagine no farmer’s markets

Without farmers’ markets, small-scale farmers would lose a primary economic outlet, forcing many out of business or into the less profitable commodity system. Urban downtowns would lose key drivers of foot traffic and local business revenue, reversing decades of downtown revitalization efforts. Furthermore, low-income communities would face significantly reduced access to fresh, affordable produce, exacerbating food insecurity in areas already lacking full-service grocery stores.