Pearl Farmers Market grand opening: May 16 , but it is open this week too.

The Pearl Farmers Market will have its grand opening Saturday May 16, 2009 but it has been open for several Saturdays and will be open this coming Saturday May 9 from 9:00 Am to 1:00 PM (rain or shine).

From their website, here's a list of expected offerings:

Seasonal Products: Vegetables: red & gold beets, leeks, onions, cauliflower, turnips, mustard greens, fennel, spinach, green leaf lettuce, green onions, radishes, red & green cabbage, purple & white kholrabi, carrots, celery, swiss chard, dill, collards, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, tatuma squash, green beans

Fruits: strawberries, blackberries, peaches

Meats: grass-fed bison, grass-fed goat, grass-fed lamb, grass-fed beef

Seafood: farm raised tilapia, farm raised shrimp

Potted Herbs: sweet basil, lemon basil, lime basil, purple basil, thai basil, English thyme, Greek oregano, garlic chives, epazote, Italian parsley, curled parsley, catnip, & sweet marjoram

Baked Goods: sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, sun-dried tomato flatbread, olive flatbread, sourdough, monkey bread, baquettes, cookies, coffee cake, muffins

Value Added Products: free range eggs, gourmet nuts, honey, pecans, jams & jellies, all natural & gluten free mixes, salsa, seasoning spices, coffee, tea

Since they carefully limit sales to locally grown foods and ranching is particularly popular in our area they really excel in natural meats. We've posted on the shrimp before. It really is miles ahead of any other farmed shrimp and is simply unavailable at the retail level except at Pearl. The Tilapia is farm raised near Hondo in a closed system . The Environmental Defense Fund places US farm raised Tilapia in their Eco-Best Category.

In addition to the website, the Pearl Market Facebook group is a great way to keep up with moment by moment developments.