Alejandro Rodriguez left his family's farm outside of Santa Cruz at 3:15 Saturday morning to bring Camarosa strawberries to the Telegraph Square Farmers Market on Telegraph Square.
He stacked trays of the shiny red fruit on tables covered with green carpet.
"They're sweet, juicy and they last longer," he said of the Camarosas.
In the next both over were farmers who didn't have to commute so far.
Sue Young and Pat McCray are the only Carson City farmers at the market. Together with their husbands, Marv and Ken respectively, they brought plenty of greens.
"This early in the year we have primarily plants," said Sue Young, retired chief of the Bureau of Disability Adjudication for Nevada's Rehabilitation Division. "Herb plants, tomato plants, lots of lettuce, cut herbs and arugula." She also offered bok choy.
Market organizer Shirley Sponsler said the weather has affected this year's crop a bit.
"We're a little low on stone fruits because it didn't get quite warm enough in California," she said Saturday morning on Telegraph Street.
Beating the odds with a van full of "stone fruits" -- fruit with stony pits -- was Ed Ferguson of the Fruit Factory. He offered peaches, dried nectarines and apricots as well as oranges, tangelos, tangerines and raisins.
He runs his 200-acre ranch, 12 miles east of Fresno, with his wife, Juanita.
"This summer we're going to be going to over 50 markets," he said.
John Paine of Paine Orchards also offered stone fruit for sale. He picked about 250 pounds of cherries Friday for the Saturday market.
"These are the first off the trees," he said. "They could be a little redder but they're not bad."
He also offered several varieties of jam including low- and no-sugar raspberry preserves and Marion berry preserves.
Next to him, on the corner of Curry and Telegraph street, Gregory Ortiz was playing both six- and 12-string guitars.
"I'm just happy to be alive and playing guitar," he smiled. "I'm a consummate music lover -- I love it all."
He listed folk, jazz, blues and rock as some of his favorites. He said he listened to classical music when he was young.
"Tchaikovsky swings," he said. "He rocks."
The Telegraph Square Farmers Market is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays through June 7.
IF YOU GO
What: Telegraph Square Farmers Market
When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays through June 7.
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