Out with the old, in with the new: spring transitions hit the High Desert Farmers Market

Your local farmers market is just that - local. Not just the location, but the produce and products as well, down to each ingredient.

With the recent spring equinox came the transition out of harvest for certain produce and the tender ripening of others. So, if your go-to produce takes a High Desert Farmers Market hiatus in upcoming weeks, it’s nothing you said or did but rather a natural consequence of the Earth’s tilt.

Spring has sprung in the High Desert

The Thursday High Desert Farmers Market was so corralled with community residents that parking was reserved for only those with a stroke of luck. Four rows of farmers and other ancillary vendors were open for business, many with a line of holiday-shopping customers.

The Easter Bunny also made an early appearance for the youth of Victorville, along with a miniature horse companion (the owner was very adamant that he was not to be confused with a pony), spray painted with pastels and posing for photos in anticipation of the upcoming spring holiday.

Here are a few High Desert Farmers Market highlights that locals can expect in the coming weeks.

"Most citrus is seasonal but some of our varieties are year-round," said Marley, the familiar face of JM Citrus.

Marley and her mom, Jaimie, were more than gracious to get the word out about their seasonal goods, even as reusable bag customers came, saw, and conquered their citrus selection.

Farmers market shoppers can expect the Oro Blanco grapefruit and the Cara Cara red navel to go out of season in the next two weeks at the Moreno family-owned JM Citrus booth.

"The HAAS avocados will be around until the beginning of summer, then they'll be replaced by the Reed avocado. If our customers are looking for trustworthy avocados that won't oxidize or turn brown, the Reed is where it's at," pitched Marley.

Tangerines and blood oranges are other spring produce and are only in fashion until the end of May, depending on the weather.

The apple booth was the fourth-row protagonist of the market. Busier than a bear at a beehive, Cuyama Orchards had a queue of shoppers to the next booth hoping to snag some in-season apples, honey, and vinegar while they still could.

"We only have one month left for apples before we get ready for stone fruit season," said William of Cuyama Orchards. If apples are your farmers market guilty pleasure, be sure to shop before the end of April for the mouthwatering maturity of Fuji, Pink Lady, Arkansas Black, and Granny Smith apples.

The farmers weren't the only market-goers who had some seasonal intel.

What can High Desert Farmers Market shoppers expect in the coming weeks?

The timeliness of the winter-to-spring-to-summer transition for the farms is solely dependent on the weather.

"We're experiencing longer winter conditions this year," explained Kerri Santoro, market manager of the High Desert Farmers Market. "Cucumbers, snap peas, and leafy greens like collards and Swiss chard are very specifically spring produce. The farmers will probably only have these items for a few more weeks before cherries, peaches, nectarines, and apricots take precedence at the stands."

The High Desert Farmers Market is proud to host quite a broad spectrum of vendors.

From farms to bakeries, jewelry, fashion, wood toys, concrete goods, and more, most of the vendors are happy to showcase their trademark crafts at the market year-round.

Whether or not a vendor misses a market has less to do with the season and more to do with specific weather conditions. Manager helper Michelle Cregut explained that the only time the vendors might miss a market is when the weather is really bad. Some products are temperamental and they simply don't handle the elements well. The market will see some no-shows on particularly windy, wet, and excruciatingly hot days.

Certain flowers are also seasonal at the Hillside Flower Growers booth.

Spring-only bouquets include the Calla Lily, ranunculus, freesias, and daisies.

"These typically only bloom from the end of March until May, depending on the weather," said Robert Vargas, owner of Hillside.

There was an impressive collection of Calla Lilies early in the morning at the double-canopy booth in preparation for Easter this weekend. By mid-morning, there were only a few buckets left of the popular white conical flowers.

High Desert residents can expect to see nuts at the Thursday market year-round, as well as baked goods.

Carb-loaded items that are seasonal include sweets and bread with seasonal fruit. Dinner rolls and burger buns are also temporary at Old Town Baking Company and are only baked in anticipation of celebrations or events like Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.

The High Desert Farmers Market takes place every Thursday from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at 18422 Bear Valley Rd. For more questions, contact the High Desert Farmers Market.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Seasonal produce replaced at the High Desert Farmers Market