Farmers’ Markets: No Comparison

Blossom Hill Farmers' Market Entrance

There’s such a difference between the farmers’ markets I’ve been to in Hawaii and the ones I’ve stopped at on the mainland.

In Hawaii, most of them are simply produce markets where the vendors bring in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, 99% of which they didn’t grow themselves; most of which they purchased from a wholesaler to sell to the public. The Manoa Farmers’ Market at Manoa Marketplace, open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday morning, is a prime example.

On the mainland, however, the ones I’ve been to feature booths by actual farms and/or food producers that sell their own products – for example, one might sell only leafy greens, one might feature tomatoes, one might make kettle corn on the spot, one might be selling citrus, one might be offering jams and jellies from its own private label.

Two great ones that I’ve been to in California are the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at San Francisco’s Embarcadero (I’ve run pictures from this one before) that’s open every day except Saturday, and a smaller one near my son’s home in San Jose – the Blossom Hill Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

On our last trip to San Jose in late April, we spent a couple of hours wandering the Blossom Hill gathering:

Farm-Fresh Multi-Colored Eggs

Huge, Sweet Baskets of Strawberries

Succulent Young Zucchini

Just-Picked Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

Root Vegetables of All Kinds

Kettle Corn Made on the Spot

Live Entertainment by Aprylle Gilbert

Now THAT’S a farmers’ market.