A visit to the farmers market is one of life’s simple pleasures—fresh food, open air, and a vibrant community gathering. To help keep our markets safe, clean, and accessible for everyone, we maintain a strict no pets policy. Service dogs are always welcome. Recently, we’ve seen some confusion—and increasing challenges—around the difference between service dogs...Read More
At the farmers market, honey is more than just a sweetener — it’s a story of place, season, and stewardship. Few tell that story more beautifully than Lynne Bottazzo of Amen Bee Products. Lynne’s journey with bees began decades ago, but its roots stretch much further — all the way back to Italy. While living...Read More
Editor’s Note: Fifty Years of the Food Revolution Over the past fifty years, the way Americans think about food has quietly transformed. What was once dominated by industrial production has given way to a renewed appreciation for foods made with skill, care, and a connection to the land. Farmers markets have played an important role...Read More
We are delighted to welcome Santana Rodriguez, owner of Qouign Pastries, to the Aptos Farmers Market. While some of our customers may already know Santana from her time at the Monterey Farmers Market, she is newly joining the Aptos community — and the excitement goes both ways. “I had such a wonderful time at the...Read More
If you’ve ever stood at the Aptos Farmers Market holding an unfamiliar vegetable and wondering what on earth to do with it, chances are Chef Andrew Cohen appeared at your elbow with a smile. “Oh, that? You’re going to love it,” he’d say — and before you knew it, you had not one recipe, but...Read More
In 2026, the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets proudly celebrates 50 years of serving the Central Coast—five decades of bringing farmers and communities together through food, stewardship, and shared purpose. What began in 1976 as a modest local market has grown into a cherished regional institution, deeply woven into the daily lives of farmers, families,...Read More
Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Watsonville, Belle Farms is a small, family-run operation producing exceptional extra virgin olive oil with deep roots in both tradition and place. What began in 1997 as a modest vineyard planted by Steve and Marguerite Remde has grown into a thriving farmstead with seven acres...Read More
Along the historic El Camino Real, where fog drifts inland from Monterey Bay and settles over the fertile fields of the Salinas Valley, sits Schoch Family Farmstead—a living piece of California dairy history. Founded in 1944 by Swiss brothers Adolph and Ernest Schoch, the farm began as one of hundreds of small dairies that once...Read More
Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery is the realization of a long-held dream for Margie and Joel Weber—a dream rooted in animals, land stewardship, and the belief that great cheese begins with exceptional milk. In 2018, they opened what became the Central Valley’s first farmstead artisanal goat creamery, producing handcrafted cheeses exclusively from the milk of their...Read More
If you’ve wandered through the farmers market lately and noticed a table lined with dressing bottles and small tubs of miso, you may have already met Masumi Diaz, owner of Hakouya. Masumi creates some of the most traditional, nourishing, and delicious fermented foods you’ll ever taste — all made by hand, using techniques passed down...Read More
