Vineyard Market, Old Town Clovis draw season to a close, Sept. 25

Early morning risers assemble together to claim the best fruits and vegetables provided by local farms on Saturday mornings at the Vineyard Farmers Market. For thirty five years the Vineyard has served customers year round on Wednesdays from 3 to 6pm and Saturdays from 7a.m to noon. Families bring in empty bags hoping to fill them full of goodies when they leave.

On Saturdays, Fabiano’s Coffee presents their assortment of flavored beans. Flavors range from Creme Brulee to Snickerdoodle and Vanilla Cream to Dark Roast. A vendor from Fabiano’s Coffee in Fresno shares how her special coffee beans are flavored.

“Our company is local, we roast our own beans,” Fabiano’s vendor said. “Our beans are from all over the world. Flavorings are added to the beans after they are roasted and it is done with an oil. We have a roasting plant out by Valley Children’s, our coffee is sold at restaurants, fundraisers for schools and the Fresno State market.”

The aroma of fresh strawberries greets customers as they enter under the cathedral like a trellis overhead. Acoustic guitar music faintly accompanies the conversations in the crowd as venders shouted from their booths On both sides of the walkway, tables line the street with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, breads, jellies, tamales and flowers.

There is a place for sitting and enjoying a fresh tamale with rice and beans from Casa de Tamales or pastries from La Boulangerie. Paintings are available to purchase from local painters. Samples of food or juice  are placed at the front of  tables for interested buyers.

Unlike other markets this one sells authentic chocolates imported from different parts of the world. Samples of dark chocolate and cacao bits were available to try. Based on the country, percentages of darkness in the chocolate grew up to 100% of used cacao and organic sugar.

We’ve got a plentiful supply and variety of things to pick and choose from. But it’s also a fun night, it’s like a festival. People gather here as a community and eat food and chat. It’s an all around good time for a friday night. — Carol Lester, Executive Director for Old Town Clovis

An expert in chocolate from Molucca’s Craft Chocolate explains the background of the chocolate making.

“There are three places our chocolate is imported from: Peru, Indonesia and the Dominican Republic,” Molucca’s representative said. “Our chocolate is made from scratch, meaning that we use cocoa beans instead of cocoa powder. We don’t add anything else except for organic cane sugar. Our company doesn’t have a store front but we do have a factory. Most of our sales are at the farmers market, Little Leaf Tea, or Fulton Mall.”

Even more farmer’s markets are available to attend in Fresno throughout the year. The Old Town Clovis Farmers Market begins the second Friday in May and continues until the end of September. The vendors continue to sell their produce year round at the farmers markets.

The market fills with people trying new food, listening to music and enjoying time with family. Colorful vegetables placed in neat rows catch the attention of the crowds as they pass by. In between the booths of fruits and vegetables, there are vendors selling homemade jams and jellies, unique assortments of cheese, and relishes.

Carole Lester, Executive Director for the Business Organization of Old Town Clovis, shares why people should visit the market at Old Town.

Locals sit together around the center of the market to watch the band and appreciate the cool weather of the evening. The location of the market gives it a certain advantage; antique stores surround produce booths. Visitors coming to the market can also learn about the history of Clovis by visiting nearby museums.

Top of the Hill creates and sells fresh jams and jellies to crowds at the local farmers market. A vendor from Top of The Hill shares the history of their business.

“Top of The Hill has been coming to the Old Town Clovis Farmers Market for the last thirty years,” Top of the Hill’s vendor said. “All of our jams, jellies and relishes are made in a certified kitchen in Reedley, and our farm is located there as well. Most of our produce comes from our farm and what we don’t farm we get from local growers.”

This market in particular has 100 vendors, it is the largest farmers market in the Central Valley. It is a certified market, which means all vendors grow what they sell. Information on their produce must be posted on the booth for the buyers to see.

The last Old Town Farmers Market of the season will be held this Friday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m. The annual Pistachio Party will be held Sept. 25 from 5:30-9 p.m. Sponsored by the American Pistachio Growers, samples and hand out snack packs of pistachios will be handed out. Another Farmer’s Market in Fresno is at River Park Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. from April through October. Check the Old Town Clovis Facebook page for updates as a abbreviated farmers market is often set up on Saturday mornings.

For more features, read the Sept. 25 article, ClovisFest showcases variety of attractions, vendors.

These writers can be reached via Twitter: @_ElizabethAnn16 and @JennyPenny8835 and via email: Elizabeth Baker and Jenny King.