Saturday mornings at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College are a favorite way to start the weekend. I go not only for the sheer sensory delight, tables overflowing with vibrant flowers and fragrant herbs next to colorful displays of ripe fruit and gorgeous vegetables, but also to say hi to the vendors I get to know a little better each week.
Catherine Barr has been one of those familiar Saturday morning faces for the past 30 years, to be exact. And although the title of Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets executive director sounds lofty, I see her there at the crack of dawn every week, engaged in animated conversation with farmers, staff and shoppers. She clearly lives and breathes this place.
So it was a pleasure to interview her about one of my favorite local resources, the one that fills my fridge each week, and why 50 years of farmers market success is a feat worth celebrating.
Founded in 1976 by local organizers and growers, including Robbie Jaffe and Barney Bricmont, the market began in a parking lot at Live Oak School with a small group of farmers selling directly to the public. It later moved to Cabrillo College during the 1980s after a Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine restricted agricultural movement in the Live Oak inspection zone.
Fifty years is an extraordinary milestone. What has allowed the Aptos Farmers Market not only to survive, but to thrive for half a century?
CB: A lot of it has to do not only with our farmers, but also with our very loyal customer base. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. Some families have been coming for decades. They brought their kids, and now they’re bringing their grandchildren.
The same thing is happening with some of our farms, where the next generation is taking over the family business. It’s a win-win situation.
When the market started in 1976, the goal was to give the small California family farmer a place to sell their wares. They couldn’t really compete with larger farms or wholesale operations. We still focus on that California farmer. Only about 25% of our members can be non-farm producers, like specialty food vendors.
And they do make it easier to get everything in one place. I have to admit I’m pretty hooked on Wise Goat fermented foods and Companion Bake Shop. Impressively, you’ve been part of the market for more than 30 of the past 50 years. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve witnessed?
When I started in 1992, there were maybe 400 to 450 farmers markets in California. Now there are almost 850 to 900. That’s doubled, and that’s remarkable in itself.
I also see a lot of the newer generations coming up who are more savvy. They understand different payment systems and new growing practices. A lot of them have come through UC Davis or Cal Poly. The tradition continues, and I really think that’s great.
Some farm families have been connected to the market for generations. What stands out to you about those relationships?
I feel very honored when they invite me to weddings, baby showers or other family occasions. I go because they’re more than colleagues or employers. They’re family.
That’s one of the things I appreciate most about this work. You build relationships over years and sometimes decades.
Farmers markets are so established now that it’s easy to forget how unusual direct-to-consumer farm sales once were. How has the relationship between farmers and shoppers evolved?
You’re looking at the person who is growing your food. That creates a real rapport.
Some farmers hand out recipes or explain how to use something unfamiliar. It becomes more than just buying produce. It becomes a community.
I always tell people: find a farmers market in Santa Cruz County that fits your needs and where you feel comfortable. Talk to the person selling to you. If one market doesn’t work for you, try another. We have a lot to choose from.
What would you say to someone who feels overwhelmed by farmers markets?
We’ve had people come to the information booth and say, “I don’t know where to start.” I’ll take them around.
I usually tell first-timers to do a loop or two before buying anything, because a lot of it is impulse buying. You may see something you like, then find another farmer selling something similar.
Ask the seller, “What would you do with this?” if you’re not sure how to use something.
And don’t worry about knowing everything. We’re all nice people. No one is going to laugh at you if you don’t know a scallion from an onion.
We also take credit cards now. I started that program because we were sending people to the ATM at Cabrillo College, but they’d never come back. Now we have market bucks for people who forget cash or spend more than they expected.
Barr says it can take two to four years for a new market to become established in people’s routines, and I get it. There’s a difference between strolling around enjoying the scene and relying on the market for weekly grocery shopping.
But I’ve found once you know the lay of the land, and how to work the market into your weekly routine, unpacking that basket at home can become one of the highlights of the week.
Small family farms face very different challenges today than they did in 1976. What worries you most about the next generation of farmers?
Regulations are challenging. Land prices around here are difficult, especially if a generational farm doesn’t own the land. It’s really hard for new farmers to rent land.
We have water issues. We have seasonal labor issues. It can be hard for vendors to find people to work.
Some farms have really struggled, especially after COVID. It took a while for us to get back to where we are today. I hope it gets better, because it’s hard.
If you could bring the original farmers who started the market in 1976 to Cabrillo College today, what do you think would surprise them most?
I think if they saw what they started and the legacy they created, not only for Santa Cruz County but Monterey County as well, they would just say, “Wow.”
Back then there were only four of them, and the market ran from about May to September. They stuck it out.
A farmers’ market can take three to five years to become a habit for customers. They kept going, brought in friends and built something people wanted to come to.
To go from four people in the organization to around 90 today, that’s really something. We owe it to them to continue what they started.
