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 Summer
heat is here and activity was heating up at the Gibson Farm Market with
the arrival of arguably the university’s most popular student-produced
agricultural product – sweet corn – at 8 a.m. Monday, June 1.
And while tradition is served with corn’s arrival in the on-campus
market, a new variety is in the bins – an extra-tender yellow variety
called Vision. In addition to the corn’s arrival, there will be lots of
activity in upcoming days at the Gibson Farm Market, including:
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The return June 12 of
fresh student-produced meat at the Bulldog Chop Shop
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The Fresno State Summer
Harvest Festival on June 20
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Bobby’s Corner, which
offers informative, fun wine tastings by enology student Bobby
Brower
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Release of two new
student-made products from the dairy - iced tea and iced coffee
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Monthly ice cream
tastings
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Extended summer hours
beginning June 1. They are 8 a.m-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Cooler-than-usual spring
weather delayed the arrival of corn by a week, said Dr. Ganesan
Srinivasan, director of the University Agricultural Laboratory, which
consists of 25 enterprises including the Gibson Farm Market.
The new Vision sweet corn is “worth the wait,” Srinivasan said, because
it’s “sweeter and has a better flavor. It is sure to be as popular with
our customers as our other varieties are every year, if not more.”
And there’s more good news for corn fans. Srinivasan said, “We
understand the tough economic conditions, so we decided to keep our corn
prices at the same price as in past years, although labor and other
costs have increased.”
Last year, the Farm Market sold more than 400,000 ears of corn and he
anticipates 2009 sales will exceed a half-million ears. About 65 acres
of white and yellow corn are planted every two weeks to provide a
constant supply from late May through Labor Day, and sometimes longer.
Freshness is key to Fresno State corn’s popularity, Srinivasan said.
“Each ear is selected for proper maturity and hand-harvested daily. Our
corn travels less than a quarter-mile from the fields to the Gibson Farm
Market, literally making it possible to go from plant to plate in a
couple of hours.”
Srinivasan hopes Farm Market customers will pair corn with Fresno
State-produced meat from the Bulldog Chop Shop, which was introduced
last summer. It will offer beef, pork, and lamb starting June 12 and
operating during market hours Friday and Saturday or until fresh meat is
sold out.
Wine tastings resume at the new Bobby’s Corner. Enology student Brower
will educate customers by showcasing two varietals each week in a free
tasting 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Tastings will include varietal
information, food pairings and special information to those new to
Fresno State wine.
Fresh now at the Gibson Farm Market are cucumbers, green beans, squash,
apricots, plums and peaches; organic beets, turnips, golden zucchini and
colorful string beans. The market also sells nuts, fruit sauces,
extra-virgin olive oil, Bulldog blend coffee and other student-developed
prepared foods, plus campus-grown flowers and plants.
Free tastings of Fresno State Ice Cream are offered on the second
Tuesday of each month. Other dairy products include milk, chocolate
milk, cheese and flavored butter. The new iced tea and iced coffee are
expected later in June. The iced coffee is made with Fresno State 2%
milk.
The recently released Pinot Pork Sausage and Pinot Gris wine also are
available.
Proceeds from the Gibson Farm Market and other Fresno State farm
enterprises support the educational and research mission of the Jordan
College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
For more information, call 559.278.4511 or visit
www.fresnostatefarmmarket.com.
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