Ardovino's Begins the 9th Annual Farmers Market

A steady stream of patrons enters the market or heads to the new brunch

The 9th Annual Farmers Market at Ardovino's Desert Crossing began today with good weather and a steady stream of crowds of people. The usual suspects were there: the Texas Master Gardeners, Watson Gardens, Cactus Mary's, Mysterious Horizon Farms and many other food, craft and art vendors.

Brent Pearson was selling trees from his farm: Mexican Plums, Chinese Pistache and other native and adapted species.

The Master Gardeners had huge squash. I asked Joe Faulkner what they were feeding the squash and he just chuckled, "Steer manure."

"Cactus" Mary Fountaine introduced me to her Desert Rain (Chaparral) and Desert Botanical (Tea Tree Oil and Patchouli) soaps.

Marcia Dowdy's cinnamon rolls probably won't last the day at our home. Watson Farms asparagus are on our dinner menu.

Robert Ardovino helps serve freshly made pastries and coffee at the CoffeeStream Trailer

The restaurant now offers a Saturday brunch that begins at 9 a.m. as part of Ardovino's new schedule. The line was also long at the CoffeeStream Trailer.

It was good to see friends and familiar faces. Besides being the farmers market of the region, Ardovino's is a social scene - a social phenomenon.