Roscoe Zuckerman farms 1,300 acres on Mandeville Island just outside Stockton. Zuckerman’s Farm was started in this location by his grandfather in the 1940’s.
The deep, almost entirely organic peat soil is ideally suited for potatoes and asparagus. The former is grown year-round in varieties not typically found in your local supermarket. Not just red, but also purple, Yukon Gold and the favorite at the Grand Lake Market, fingerlings.
Their asparagus is typically available from February till the Middle of May. In addition to green, you may occasionally find the asparagus in purple or white. It is packed in sheds on Zuckerman’s Farm and always picked the day before being offered for sale.
From mid-April through mid-June, they harvest "Kiss of Burgundy" Artichokes.
By Farmers' Market standards, this is a huge operation with 100 full-time employees working on the farm and also staffing booths at some 45 Markets as far distant as Reno and Los Angeles. Here at the Grand Lake Market, you'll generally find Christine Guidry, sometimes accompanied by her mother, Terri Navarec.
KQED.org honored Zuckerman's Farm as their Farmer of the Month in February of this year. Their extensive profile including a slide show is available on this
link.