For 30 years now, Catherine Barr has served as Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets. She says it’s a great organization and she’s really proud and grateful to be part of it.
“We celebrated the 45th anniversary of the market last year, but we could not do a lot on account of the pandemic,” she notes.
Instead, this summer they are having a big cake at the Aptos market on July 23rd and giving away mesh produce bags to encourage cutting down on plastic bag use. “We have 2,500 bags to give away. I feel like we’re finally getting there: it’s a win–win,” she says. Getting to year 45 and now 46, provides a good opportunity to for her to reflect.
“When I started, there were more conventional farmers than organic, but now more organic than conventional,” she says. “The USDA, though, owns the ‘organic’ word. You have to register with state that you are growing organic and then undergo a third party certification. There are currently 15 agencies that can certify you. A lot of certified farmers have taken the time to jump through all the hoops, but not everyone wants to tackle the paperwork. For example, at Windmill Farm, Ronald is registered and farms organically but he doesn’t have the certification paperwork. Many farmers like him don’t take it to that third level, because the paperwork is burdensome and so difficult.”
Many of the farmers at the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets have been with the market since the start. Most of the others have been there at least 20 years, although there are always new ones like KT Farms with Asian vegetables, long beans and jujubes, which are essentially raw dates. “We now have Flying Disc, from Thermal, with 12 different varieties of dates. When you buy dates at a grocery store, they are all shriveled. Once you try these, you will never go back to store bought again!” says Barr.
One of the newest products at the markets are riceballs featuring salmon, chicken and tofu from Zen Foods, one of the oldest and largest rice farmers in California. They are located in South Dos Palos near Los Banos. During WW II, being Japanese, all their land was taken away and they had start over. Their rice was highly prized, though, even awarded honors by the Japanese emperor. That they thrive to this day is a testament to their perseverance. “It’s a nice added value to have a finished product like this at the market, and the lines are crazy long!” she adds.
Change, progress, achievement and loss go hand in hand, though. She pauses to reflect on the recent loss of Bob Harris, the egg man. “He was one of the four guys who started this movement for all markets in existence now. We called him an old curmudgeon, as he was very old school and set in his ways,” she says, observing that the younger generation never seems to believe in the lessons of history. “I see the new farmers have all these great ideas, but you need to look to the old farmers because they are doing things for a reason.”
Observing another loss, she shares that Frank Prevedelli also passed away recently. Prevedelli Farm joined in 1983 selling apples and berries to this day.
The list of legacy names is long. Stackhouse has been providing stone fruit from the Central Valley since 1991. Pinnacle Farms has been with them since 1995. New Native Sprouts has been with them since 1989, and Lynn Bottazzo, the honey lady from Amen Bees, has been coming to the market since 1979. “She’s probably the oldest of my vendors,” says Barr. “She’s from San Martin and has bees all over CA. Her family has been in bees for 200 years. She’s also an opera singer, with many records!”
Back when Barr came aboard, she says there were 400 farmers markets in California. There are now 750, with 60% of them being year round. They seem to have sprung up all over, but, if they feature mostly prepared foods and jewelry vendors, she asks that you please don’t insult the genuine farmers’ markets and the hardworking farmers that supply them, by misusing that term. “Call it a street fair,” she advises.
This summer the Saturday market at Cabrillo College in Aptos will expand to about 70 vendors and Barr says keeping a good mix is critical. “We try to keep as many farmers as possible and limit prepared food purveyors,” she says. “People keep asking about prepared food. We limit 25% of our stalls to food vendors, like bakeries. That’s the way to go: you need to support the farmers.” Plus, she observes, “Every community has a distinct personality and you have to feed the needs. In Aptos, the farmers are very supported by their community.”
MBCFM also runs the popular year-round Friday market at Del Monte Center in Monterey, along with summer seasonal markets now underway on Tuesdays at Carmel Barnyard and Sundays at Del Monte Center.
One thing that makes the MBCFM markets different from others is that each vendor pays a set fee and rather than a percentage of their sales. This works in favor of the smaller farmers, for whom every penny counts.
She says that pre-Covid programs are coming back, like the “bring one, take one” cook book exchange at Aptos right now. “It’s amazing how people still love a book to hold,” notes Barr, who still has the Betty Crocker cookbook from her marriage 43 years ago.
This year, people will be able to source vegetable starts from Scott at Green Planet, whose little seedlings are raised in coconut fiber holders that you plant right into the ground. You can find really cool selections from Pacific Rare Plants, and Kavanaugh Color also offers some starts, featuring both indoor and outdoor plants.
“Now’s the time to plant!” says Barr. “Everyone is going crazy for heirloom tomatoes!”
She observes that the pandemic really encouraged people to DIY, and gardening became huge. One would think this might impact the traffic at farmers’ markets, but no matter how ambitious your intentions, few people have the wherewithal to grow all they need. Plus, the more people know about the challenges of farming, the more they appreciate all the wonders those beloved farmers bring to the markets week after week after week.
Despite and because of the pandemic, the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets are going stronger than ever. Show your support and keep the tradition growing!
More info at montereybayfarmers.org
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
