FOOD, ETC.: Wine Flight (with staff pin discount) and the Winkler Dinner

THE LOCATION

A farmers market on the central campus is a perfect fit at a place that started as the University Farm. But putting the market in between a couple of old barns is brilliant!

Both structures date back to the university’s first years: the Silo was a dairy barn (completed in 1908). Upon its conversion to a student center, the barn took the name of its most prominent feature. (The South Silo is newer, built to resemble the Silo.)

An old stock judging pavilion (completed in 1916) sits just east of the Silo. Today, this pavilion is the Bike Barn.

And not far away sits the Hog Barn (completed in 1913), now the Heitman Staff Learning Center, home of Staff Development and Professional Services.

By Dave Jones

You’ve got a barn on one side and a silo on another: What better place for the UC Davis Farmers Market? It’s the old East Quad Farmers Market, with a new name and a new venue, the Silo courtyard.

The season begins next week: Wednesday, April 4. The market, now being run by UC Davis Stores, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Wednesday, weather permitting, through June 6.

Jason Lorgan, associate director of the stores, described the new farmers market as a lunchtime destination — a place to spend some time, take in a cooking demonstration (and have a sample), bite into a fresh apple as a snack, or enjoy a full meal, at any of the Silo eateries or at one of the food trucks outside, or at the Gunrock Pub.

“It’s going to be a festive atmosphere,” Lorgan said, “more fun than walking a produce aisle.” Especially so on opening day, with music, face painting and button making.

The East Quad Farmers Market began in 2006, under the auspices of Health Education and Promotion, part of what was then known as Student Health Services, which knew from survey data that most students were not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

With hectic schedules, students often cannot get to the grocery store or even the downtown farmers market for fresh produce. So Health Education and Promotion brought the produce to the students (and staff and faculty, too).

The market ran every fall and spring quarter through the 2010-11 academic year, then took a hiatus last fall quarter to allow for the transition to UC Davis Stores (formerly UC Davis Bookstores). Other sponsors: Campus Recreation and Unions, Student Health and Counseling Services, Students for Sustainable Agriculture, UC Davis Dining Services, the Davis Farmers Market and the Davis Food Co-op.

'Eat your fruits and veggies!'

Healthy eating is still the emphasis — and Health Education and Promotion plans to set up an information booth at each week’s market. “Our primary goal is still to get our students to eat more fruits and vegetables,” Lorgan said.

The vendors are among those who also work the Davis Farmers Market. In fact, the Davis market runs the farmers side of the UC Davis Farmers Market; it is a state-certified farmers market, and this certification carries over to the campus market. Even their logos are similar, with the campus adopting the downtown market’s artwork: a watermelon slice.

As Lorgan said, “The Davis Farmers Market is nationally recognized as one of the best — and we want to make sure people know we’re related.”

Here’s some of what you might see at the UC Davis Farmers Market during the first few weeks of spring: avocadoes, beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, lettuce, red and yellow onions, red and yellow potatoes, and sweet potatoes; cherries, kiwis, strawberries, grapefruit, and organic Pink Lady and Fuji apples; honey and dried fruit; and almond butter, and roasted and flavored almonds.

The UC Davis Student Farm plans to sell assorted greens and beans, with summer vegetables to follow in season.

UC Davis Stores will sell olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes from the Campus Grown collection, as well as the new Davis Farmers Market Cookbook. (On opening day, you can have your copy signed by one of the authors, former Davis Mayor Ann M. Evans, who graduated from UC Davis in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in consumer food science. She co-founded the Davis Farmers Market and the Davis Food Co-op).

Dining Services, which runs the Gunrock Pub, will present weekly cooking demonstrations featuring farm fresh recipes. Your other dining options include the Shah’s Halal and Star Ginger food trucks.

Finally, you can’t really have a farm without composting, especially at UC Davis. Therefore, the UC Davis Farmers Market is a zero-waste event, with composting (and recycling), courtesy of student volunteers.

Online

UC Davis Farmers Market

Want to receive a weekly reminder about the UC Davis Farmers Market? Send an e-mail to Martin Robles, marobles@ucdavis.edu, and he will put you on the list.

You can also keep up with the market via Facebook.