February 26, 2024 – Everybody knows that Old Town Clovis is the best morning destination any day of the week, but if you find yourself there on one of these beautiful late winter Saturday mornings, full of sunshine with a light breeze, take a look at Pollasky Avenue between Fifth and Bullard.
That’s where you’ll find the best year-round local produce market in the city.
Started by the Business Owners of Old Town (B.O.O.T.) a little over 10 years ago– originally in the parking lot where the Clovis DMV used to be, if you’ve lived here a while– in contrast to the rowdy Friday night Farmers Market, the Saturday morning markets are more leisurely and produce-focused.
At one end of the market, you’ll find wheatgrass, local honey, “no-spray” oranges, rainbow carrots, purple cauliflower, and microgreens. At the other, homemade soaps and handcrafted beard care, sourdough bread, and jewelry.
If you’re not one for crowds, this is the market for you. John and Lynette Ballis, owners of Busy Bees Honey Farm out of Sanger say “The market’s a little different on Saturdays– it’s much smaller.”
Their 50 beehive small business produces several varieties of honey and beeswax products. The small crowd lends itself to more loyal customers, “We’re here every Saturday, and we have a lot of regulars that come back.”
Adam Mclane, owner of The Farm at Worman Mill, clips microgreens fresh from their nursery beds as he compares his Friday night business and Saturday morning sales. “The Friday night crowd is different,” Mclane says, “They want to listen to music and grab something to carry around and eat.” He sells convenient “Snack size” containers of buttery pea greens, or spicy radish sprouts, but he finds the nutritional motivation outweighs the serious snacking potential of his products.
McLane doesn’t have to convince people to buy his microgreens, “People are exposed to [microgreens] in restaurants as a garnish, but they’re 4 to 40 times more nutritious than regular vegetables.” Doctors recommend microgreens for their nutritional density, “But we grow them because they’re yummy, that’s why we like to eat them.” McLane treats his Saturday customers to 22 varieties of microgreens as well as vegetable starts to take home to your garden. “We have pretty much everything, tomatoes, peppers, and people begged us for Fresno chilis,” McLane says.
There isn’t a lot of crossover between the vendors on Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
The owners and operators at the G&T Florists and Herbs stand say that they only bring as much produce as they think will sell, and they do enough business to pass up on Friday nights altogether.
Busy Bees Honey Farm doesn’t sell on Fridays, because there are already two local beekeepers there selling there, but they’re the only honey stand in the Saturday market.
The Saturday morning market started in 2013 to contrast the Friday Night market intentionally, and give local farmers another opportunity to sell to a different crowd. Good nourishing produce like stone fruit and walnuts, local milk, eggs, and cheese vendors started the market, and the trend continues now.
If you’re pining for the rock n’ roll dance party, kettle corn, and street fair crowds of the Friday night Market, you’ll have to wait until May 5th.
But, if you’re looking for a better place to buy guaranteed local organic produce, Old Town Clovis has you covered every Saturday morning, year round. So, grab your coffee and breakfast, and saunter down Pollasky Avenue to see what’s in season.