We asked our contributors to highlight standout vendors or purveyors at our local farmers markets. Here are some of their picks—from regular visits to what is easy at the moment. Definitely, what you get from them will bring you joy!

THE SECRET: HAPPY KNIVES, HAPPY LIFE | By Jackie Nuñez

A stop at The Sharp Brothers makes life easier when you find yourself at the College of San Mateo Farmers’ Market. Come home ready to start slicing your produce with sharpened knives. A mainstay of the market for more than a dozen years, owner Austin Freese welcomes you with a smile that holds more than 20 years of experience at the cutting edge of the craft. While you shop, your utensils are in good hands, ready to be picked up when you’re done strolling the stands. What started with a young boy and his dad learning from VHS tapes in Milwaukee has become a cross-country operation that calls Silicon Valley home. Austin says there’s a recipe for happy blades: no dishwashers, a nice place to sleep (wood or a metal strip) and soft wooden cutting boards.

PICCOLO, PASTA AND PRODUCE | By Laura Ness

For food lovers, a farmers market is nirvana. Back in 2021, when injuries prevented me from driving, my friend Julie took me to the Los Gatos and Saratoga farmers markets. While rough to navigate on crutches, the thrill of being back among the vendors outweighed inconvenience. Pillowy warm potato rosemary filone from Panorama proved irresistible to Julie, who would tear into it with delight. I fell in love with the Asiago and pepper piccolo, a giant soft breadstick.Popped in the toaster oven, the melty cheese inside the crisp crust is better than any Cheezit you’ve ever had.

Alta Mira Baking Co. now occupies Panorama’s spot in LosGatos, while Panorama serves the Palo Alto and Saratoga markets. Alta Mira’s Francisco Barrera started at Tra Vigne in St. Helena with Chef Michael Chiarello, then worked at Panorama before founding Alta Mira. Their Asiago piccolo is just $3, and they now have focaccia, which makes a quick breakfast boost topped with Rodin Farms’ crunchy almond butters in flavors like honey, maple and toffee. Hold the jam!

Pasta Rey offers fresh seasonal ravioli, like artichoke and beet ‘n’goat cheese, plus a plethora of sauces. Their lemon pepper tagliatelle is sensational with baby broccolini and spring onions from Live Earth Farm dressed with lemon olive oil.

SEASONALLY CRAFTED, TRADITIONALLY BAKED | By Savannah Leedy

A regular local farmers market vendor, Roxanne’s Biscotti has gained a loyal fan base for the delicately balanced texture and unique flavors of their traditional Italian cookie that keep people wanting more.

Beyond excellent craftsmanship, Roxanne’s Biscotti is an expression of the local community—from the ingredients to the love poured into every product.

Roxanne Vinciguerra and her husband have been sharing their biscotti with friends and family for over 30 years. Since she perfected her recipe and opened her business years ago, Roxanne’s biscotti are now just as much of a staple in the local community as they are in her family.

Today, she bakes her biscotti weekly out of her kitchen in Morgan Hill, sourcing all her ingredients from local farmers and businesses. Enjoy year-round flavors of almond, anise, butterscotch and chocolate chip, along with one-of-a-kind seasonal flavors. For the summer: strawberry biscotti featuring fruit from P & K Farms. Visit Roxanne’s Biscotti year round at the Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the Mountain View farmers markets and at the Santana Row summer market.

WILD AND FLAVORFUL, THIS HONEY WILL STICK WITH YOU | By Catherine Nunes

Yes, they have local wildflower and orange blossom, but with The Honey Ladies you can adventure into the exotic. I literally beeline for their farmers market table with 10–20 local honey varieties, depending on the season. These bees forage in the hills and valleys on local fruits and wild blooms, and you can taste hints of their primary food source in each jar: blackberries, sage, clover, raspberries.

Dare I say, shoppers sometimes swarm around, tasting and comparing—you can try before you buy. They hand you tiny wooden sticks, and suddenly you’re judging honey like wine. It completely changed how I think about honey; each variety has different colors and flavor notes. I love the avocado honey, dark and complex like molasses and deeply rich, and the elusive meadowfoam honey that tastes like a fluffy marshmallow (they don’t always have it!). Yes, there’s even a delicious poison ivy honey, and thankfully, I’ve been assured the bees work the flowers, not the leaves. The Honey Ladies rescue local bees and swarms to turn them into liquid gold. I always leave with one jar I planned for—and one I didn’t. A sweet hive-five for me!

Sold at select farmers markets: Evergreen, Los Altos (in summer), Willow Glen, Cupertino, Berryessa, Alum Rock and daily through local specialty markets and their Campbell store, Beehive Health &Nutrition.

YOUR COMMUNITY FUNGI | By Charlotte Kryska

The world of fungi can sometimes feel alien. That’s why you need experts to guide you and that is where KH Mushrooms comes in. Dan and Rochelle Knoester are a couple whose expedition base tent is Lathrop, California—and they really do grow these mushrooms from a temperature- and light-controlled tent. Their journey began with their own research, and the creative chefs from the restaurants they worked at. They have regular offerings of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms such as lion’s mane, shiitake, black pearl and oyster varieties, and they rotate special varieties such as chestnut, beech and pioppino.

KH Mushroom’s main drive, however, is the sharing of knowledge with the community. They have guides suggesting what dishes work well for each variety, but love to hear what others use their mushrooms for. So if you find yourself at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market or the Japantown Farmers Market, buy some mushrooms, cook them up and let KH know how you did it. I personally love using their lion’s mane instead of seafood—I’ve made some amazing “fish” and chips.

They also provide wholesale for restaurants, just reach out to them and they will gladly provide samples.

“We enjoy mushroom toast, which is simply sautéed mushrooms with your favorite herbs placed on a slice of sourdough and garnished with microgreens,” says Rochelle Knoester.

THE PERFECT NOODLE | By Amber Turpin

Making a pot of soup helps us lean into the slow, methodical, mindful act that cooking can be. But sometimes, especially in summer, you don’t really want to stand in front of a hot stove for long. With this in mind, and in the vein of “keeping it simple,” the Sakura Soup Co. stands out as a vendor to visit.

Owner Tomo Kusaka moved to the States from Japan and launched the business out of a desire to offer home cooks a way to create authentic bowls of ramen in their own kitchens. Based on a method that Kusaka learned to concentrate soup bases, the company sells over a dozen different flavor selections around Bay Area farmers markets, including the Campbell farmers market. But what really sealed the deal for me was finding pouches of fresh ramen noodles on their table as well. It’s a one-stop shop for a perfect bowl of ramen at home!

HEIRLOOM PINQUITOS: A SILICON VALLEY TAKEON A CENTRAL COAST STAPLE | By Jackie Nuñez

Stroll up to the Blue House Farm stand at the College of SanMateo Farmers’ Market beyond the vibrant fresh-cut flowers and famous fingerling potatoes and you’ll see a spread of organic heirloom beans. Grown with more than 30 other varieties amid the salty ocean breeze and fog that hugs the coastline around Pescadero, the Pinquitos stand out amid the bean bounty. Their perfectly pink color and roundness, with tough enough skin to survive a long, slow low boil intact, make them a special bean to choose. Some say they don’t need more than some sautéed onions and garlic, bay leaves and water. Save the salt for the end! Others love the whole-hog approach of Santa Maria–style recipes that require a hunk of ham and pay anode to the Central Coast where this special variety originated. The simple joy with these beans is choosing your adventure and savoring the heart of Silicon Valley’s precious soil and coastline in one bite.