Summer stone fruits are arriving at Victory Park.
Every Saturday morning, as many as 60 certified California growers line the parking lot in the 2900 block of North Sierra Madre Boulevard, selling what they harvested days sometimes hours before. The Pasadena Certified Farmers’ Market at Victory Park has held this weekly post since March 1984, making it 42 years and counting at the same spot in front of Pasadena High School. It is, according to market manager Gretchen Sterling, the longest continuously operating certified farmers’ market in the Los Angeles County region.
“We were the second market in Los Angeles County, the first one being Gardena,” Sterling said. The Pasadena market, which started with 17 farmers at a Tuesday location at Villa Parke Center in 1980, took over the title after Gardena’s market closed during COVID-19, according to a Pasadena Now report. The market never shut down during the pandemic, staying open through coordination with the Pasadena Health Department.
The model is simple and deliberate. Every vendor is certified by the California Department of Agriculture to sell only what they grow. The market is part of the California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets. There are no craft booths, no resellers. All farmers at the market are pesticide and chemical free, according to Pasadena Weekly.
“We keep four farmers for every one food artisan,” Sterling said. “We do no crafts. We are your food source.”
The result fills the stalls each week: California-grown fruits and vegetables, ranch-raised meats, fresh fish, baked bread, jams, cut flowers, and prepared foods cooked on-site. Vendors travel from as far as Fresno, the Coachella Valley, and San Luis Obispo, Sterling said.
The market is operated by the City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, which took over sole management in 1995 after the market began as a nonprofit in 1980. Surplus revenue from the program supports recreation activities at the city’s four community centers.
“PRCS is proud to support such a meaningful and long-standing program,” said Koko Panossian, director of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services, in a city statement. “The Pasadena Farmers’ Market aligns with our mission to offer affordable resources, encourage healthy choices, and foster connections within the community.”
The market accepts CalFresh EBT cards and participates in the Hunger Action LA Market Match program, which provides matching vouchers of up to $15 for CalFresh recipients purchasing fruits and vegetables. Shoppers can check in at the information booth for details.
Sterling’s survey data indicates 60 percent of customers come from the Pasadena area, with 40 percent traveling from outside the region.
“Different things have been dear to my heart, but nothing is as dear as operating the market and the good we do in the community, whether it’s just nutritional or the programs that we help sponsor,” Sterling said.
“Farmers work long days, deal with changing weather conditions, and travel a long way to be at our markets weekly,” she said. “My job is helping keep farmers farming and customers eating well, healthy and well.”
The market is open Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., rain or shine, year-round with the exception of the week of the Rose Parade. A smaller Tuesday market operates at Villa Parke Center, 363 E. Villa St. Victory Park is at the intersection of Sierra Madre Boulevard and Paloma Street, with entry through the monitored entrance at the northwest corner of the parking lot. Admission is free. For information, call (626) 449-0179 or visit pasadenafarmersmarket.org.
The peaches will be there Saturday. So will the people who grew them.
