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Farmers market opens with new vendors for 2011
farmers market pic1
Hooked on Cactus adds to the variety at the Turlock Farmers’ Market with cacti and succulent plants. - photo by ANDREA GOODWIN/ The Journal

Turlock’s Farmers’ Market got off to a lively and active start on Friday with the addition of 10 new vendors for the 2011 season. This is the market’s second year of operation in downtown Turlock. Jellies, jams and cacti were just a few of the new products for sale.

“I think this market has a good atmosphere. There is a good variety of vendors, there is music and food. I’m new, but I sold quite a few (cacti) today,” said Valerie Edrington of Hooked on Cactus.

Edrington has set up shop at the Merced Famers’ Market for the past two years. She was invited to a special event at the Turlock Farmer’s Market last year and decided to join for the season.

There are about 30 vendors total at the Turlock Farmers’ Market. Some will be coming and going throughout the season, depending on the harvest and their availability. The market, which returned last year with mainly produce vendors, has a wide variety of locally grown food products this year. Organic fruits and vegetables, the staple of farmers’ markets, were in abundance. But there were also organic eggs, goat cheese, jam, olive oil, honey and other products for sale.

Ellie Fernandez of Ellie & Charley’s Natural Garden was one of the original vendors of the Turlock Farmers’ Market. She and Charley were back this year with organic produce and herbs. She has added organic chicken eggs to her stand and expects that business will pick up in the next few weeks, as the community realizes that the market is again open for business.

“We have high hopes that it’s going to be a good year,” Fernandez said.

New and returning vendors all said that the Turlock Farmers’ Market was in a great location and was busy and active. Stephanie Jourdan of Amalia’s Cocina said that she likes the energy of the Turlock market.  Amalia’s Cocina is a Denair based line of sauces sold locally in supermarkets. Jourdan said that although Amalia’s Cocina products are sold in stores, she likes to attend farmers’ markets as well.

“We find that farmers’ markets are a great way to get our name out to the local community,” Jourdan said.

The Turlock Farmers’ Market runs every Friday morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the corner of Broadway and Main Street in downtown Turlock.

To contact Andrea Goodwin, e-mail agoodwin@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2003.