Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - OakleyPress_05.09.08 - Index

8A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MAY 9, 2008
Dennis’
Dennis’
Shop Shop
Barber Barber
Traditional Barber
203 Rossi Ave.,
Antioch
(off A Street, 2 blocks
north of Highway 4)
(925) 753-0889
Tuesday-Friday
8am-5pm
Saturdays
8am-4pm
Farm-fresh goes downtown
by Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
The Brentwood Farmers’
Market kicks off its new
season this Saturday morning,
and shoppers will be hardpressed
to fi nd a more luscious
assortment of fruits and vegetables
than Brentwood’s own,
says Farmers’ Market Director
John Silveira.
“Of all the markets we
do, there just aren’t any fresher
than Brentwood,” said Silveira,
who organizes over 50 local
farmers’ markets throughout
the Bay Area. “This area has
picked up a lot of momentum,
and Brentwood has really
raised the bar on quality.
It’s going to be a very exciting
year.”
This will be the second
year that the market has been
held on Saturdays from 8 a.m.
to noon on First Street between
Chestnut and Oak streets in
downtown Brentwood. The
market will run through the
end of October. Previously
held on Thursday afternoons
along Second Street, the market’s
new weekend time and
location has become a destination
for the culinary curious
as well as weekend warriors in
search of delectable specialty
items and local goodies.
“There are just a lot more
strollers out on Saturday mornings,
and it’s a festive, positive
energy,” said Silveira. “People
are tired after work and it’s
hard sometimes to come out,
but on a weekend morning, you
capture a lot more interest.”
Of particular interest at
this week’s market, said Silveira,
will be springtime’s bounty
of cherries, blueberries, asparagus,
broccoli and caulifl ower.
“At this time of year, it’s
my favorite: asparagus,” said
Silveira. “The information
booth will be stocked with
some unique recipes such as asparagus
pesto, and a great asparagus
salad made with fresh
parmesan cheese. It’s all free
and available to the public.”
Also on hand this season
will be Santa Cruz favorite
Beckman’s Bakery, Arata
Farms and their fresh fruit
pies, as well as local farmers
Seiko Ranch, Nunn Better
Farms and a dozen of other
agriculturists.
But visitors to the downtown
market can also expect a
few out-of-the-ordinary items
as well. Fresh locally made
pastas, sweet potato pies by
Grandma Lilly, corn-fed beef
from the Ennes Ranch and of
course, “Flowers, always fl owers,
and lots of them,” said
Silveira. “There will be a lot of
those kinds of items that you
don’t necessarily expect to see
at a farmers’ market, but which
are wonderful.”
Silveira is also hoping to
Keith Jones
grabs a basket
of fresh strawberriesduring
last year’s
Brentwood
Farmers’ Market
opening day.
The Market will
open for the
2008 season
tomorrow,
and will run
every Saturday
through
October.
Press file photo
incorporate some local artists’
works into the market again
this year. “After all, agricultural
is truly an art and we want to
celebrate it,” he said.
Sponsored by the Brentwood
Chamber of Commerce
and the City of Brentwood,
each farmers’ market is operated
by a certifi ed farmers’
market association.
For more information, call
800-949-FARM or visit www.
pcfma.com.
To comment on this
story, visit www.thepress.net.