Fresh from Our Farmers: Farmers market season kicks into high gear

Farmers market season kicks into high gear this week with the opening of six seasonal markets.

Forestville’s Certified Farmers Market opened Tuesday and continues weekly from 4 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot of Cork’s Restaurant (5700 Highway 116) through the end of October.

The Petaluma Theater District market opens tonight and continues on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 to 8 p.m. through August 26. Healdsburg’s Wednesday market opens this afternoon, as well; it operates on Wednesday from 3:30 to 6 p.m. through the end of October in the Purity/Cerri parking lot on North St. between Grove and Foss Streets.

Cotati’s Certified Farmers Market, now under the umbrella of Agricultural Community Events, opens this Thursday, June 4, in La Plaza Park in downtown Cotati and continues every Thursday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. through August 27.

On Friday, the Rohnert Park Farmers Market kicks off its second market day of the season, which continues from 5 to 8 p.m. though August 28 at Rohnert Park Plaza (500 City Center Dr.). The new Sunday market operates year round.

The Kenwood Certified Farmers Market, which takes place in Kenwood Plaza Park (200 Warm Springs Rd.) opens Sunday and continues from noon to 4 p.m. every Sunday through September 13.

The Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market kicks off its 14th season this Friday, June 5, at 4 p.m. Opening day will feature nearly all of the market’s regular vendors, with just a couple starting next week.

Produce vendors will have everything from sugar snap peas, fresh favas, cucumbers, lettuces, mushrooms, braising greens, potatoes, radishes, blueberries and strawberries to citrus fruit and several surprises from farmers experimenting with less familiar crops. There are always lots of beautiful flowers and fresh bouquets, too. Participating farmers including Singing Frog Farm, Occidental Well-Being Farm, New Family Farm, Blasi Ranch, Green Valley CSA, Fifteen Gates Farm, Rainbow’s End Farm, Bloomfield Bees, White Fox Farm, Sonoma Swamp Blues, Bloomfield Organics, Star Mountain Gardens, Twin Peak and Bohemian Collective.

Green Star Farm attends, too, with their grass-fed meats and eggs from pastured chickens. If you haven’t tried their pullet eggs, they have plenty right now. These are the first eggs from young hens and have a larger ratio of yolk to white. They are less expensive than eggs from mature hens -- currently, $8 for two dozen -- and are delicious.

Valley Ford Cheese Co. attends, Raymond’s Bakery is a popular vendor and Cookie...Take a Bite! comes, too, with their pristine little cookies.

Two juice vendors, Juice Runners and Guerilla Juice, will alternate, as will two spice vendors, Sonoma Spice Company and Berkmans Spices.

Cirque du Ferments (formerly Farm to Ferments), operated by the Pestell brothers, attends, too, with their delicious fermented concoctions to both enjoy on the spot and take home.

Kashaya’s Brick Oven Pizza returns this year and Lata’s Indian Cuisine is here, too, as is Petaluma Pie Company.

For several months, it was unclear if the market would happen at all, as several downtown merchants worried that the crowds that attend the market place an undue burden on the little community. Hard work by the market’s manager, Kim Dow, and an exploration of the issues has come to a happy conclusion.

The Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market, founded in 2002 and managed by Kim Dow, takes place on Fridays from 4 p.m. until dusk from the beginning of June until the end of October. It is located on Bohemian Highway between First and Third Streets in downtown Occidental.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 21 books to date, including the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.