Now in its second season, the Oak Park Farmers Market provides neighborhood residents with fresh produce, live music and a sense of community, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at McClatchy Park.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

The market was started by NeighborWorks Sacramento, an organization whose mission it is to strengthen communities and create opportunities for affordable housing.

NeighborWorks has made it possible for vendors at the market to accept EBT payments, and, thanks to funding from the Sacramento Hunger Coalition, EBT recipients receive an extra market dollar for every dollar they spend there. 

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

The Sacramento Press staff paid the Oak Park Farmer’s Market a visit on Saturday and was not disappointed.

With around 10 vendors, it is smaller than some other markets around town. But with offerings like olive oil, freshly baked bread, obscure vegetables varieties and handmade popsicles, the Oak Park Farmer’s Market is proof that bigger isn’t always better.

The Upper Crust, a bakery based in Davis, had an abundance of unique and mouthwatering creations on display.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

According to vendor Katy Gott, the eight-grain raisin walnut loaf is one of the bakery’s most popular products, but they also had sliced fermented french, whole wheat honey flax and rosemary-infused breads, along with fruit tarts and stacks of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez All of Upper Crust’s breads are baked fresh in the morning and sold the same day.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

On a table next to Upper Crust’s was a battalion of corn and flour tortillas from Mi Abuelita Bonita, with flavors like garlic butter, jalapeno salsa and mild red chili.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Those who like a little cheese with their fresh-baked bread might want to stop off at Pedroza Dairy and Cheese, an Orland-based company owned by couple Jill and Tim Pedroza.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Manning the booth on Saturday were sisters-in-law Diana Pedroza and Mary Dawidczik, who helped customers decide between dairy delicacies like wheels of Blondie’s Best, a nutty, raw-milk cheese aged 60 days, and wedges of handmade cheeses imbued with ingredients like walnuts and truffle oil.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Sacramento-based organic and family-owned ML Farms had fragrant strawberries, okra and tomatoes by the pound and baskets of plump blackberries for sale.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

At the Cherry Hill Farms booth, shoppers stopped by to pick up pepper plants, cucumbers and sumptuous, affordable baskets of flavor-packed cherry tomatoes.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Shoppers hoping to find fresh flowers and kind service needed to look no further than the Say Nhiayi Farm stand, which was stocked with vibrant sunflowers, multicolored zinnias, eggplants with shockingly violet skins, beets, gourds and a tub full of shiny Thai chilis.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Dave’s Pops, a rainbow-topped cart dedicated to handmade, dairy-free popsicles in flavors like mint chip, lemon-lime and mocha, provided shoppers with some much-appreciated refreshment as the morning cool turned into midday heat.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

The cart is run by owner Dave Feldpausch, inventor of the patented Duble method, which involves double-freezing pops in order to give them a creamy quality without adding any fat.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

Dave’s Pops cater to the lactose-intolerant crowd, but with classics like root beer, strawberry and coconut flake on the menu, they have become a crossover hit with dairy-lovers and vegans alike.

Image by: Pembe Sonmez

The Oak Park Farmers Market will be up and running through October 15.