EDIBLE: Carmel Valley finally gets the farmers market it so eagerly awaited.

Cindy Walter was at a loss.

This is a woman so resourceful she makes her own toothpaste, ferments her own foods and keeps her own bees. And one so articulate she’s often asked to speak on the sustainability she and her husband have pioneered at Pacific Grove’s Passionfish.

So when an empty parking lot stops her short, that qualifies as exceptional.She was pulling up to the Carmel Community Center on a Friday a month ago, fresh off reading a food blog announcing – finally – the arrival of a Carmel Valley farmers market.

For Walter, a 30-year resident of the village, this was as glorious as it was overdue.

“I’ve been wondering why we don’t have one,” she says. “We have the best weather!”

She carried reusable bags and cash. “I had $40 and I was going to spend it no matter what,” she says. “I was picturing the barbecue and music and families and kids running around. Organic produce and farm-fresh eggs. I was just so stoked.”

The thing about that excitement: It swept her away before she got to which Friday it would start. That Friday arrives this week (March 20), as will Walter.

“I’ll be there with my little bag!” she says. “Just because I was a month early doesn’t mean I’m any less excited.”

Arriving with her: a very sturdy range of vendors, including a youngster after Walter’s own beekeeping heart in Jake Reisdorf of Carmel Honey Co. He’ll be joined by another Carmel Valley keeper of the farm-fresh faith, Serendipity Farms, and its certified organic strawberries, blueberries, vegetables, flowers and robust salad mixes.

There’s more produce where that came from: Cipponeri Farms (Turlock) totes along stone fruit, melons, almonds and citrus. Medina Berry Farm (Watsonville) supplies raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Anguiano Farms (Santa Maria) offers more strawberries, as will Rodriguez Ranch (Watsonville), of the certified organic variety, along with a range of vegetables.Avila Farms (Hollister) rounds out the roster with certified organic vegetables.

The prepared items, meanwhile, entice at least as much, starting with Mark Kaltenbacher’s Central Coast Juicery (Monterey) and its raw, fresh, organic, cold-pressed juices, and mouthwatering wood-fired Tricycle Pizza (Monterey).OMG Vinegars (Carmel) does fruit-infused and extensively-aged balsamic vinegars; its owner-operatorSharon Cuneo will also man the barbecue and do pulled pork sandwiches, tri-tip sandwiches, chicken, chili and salads.

The Brittle Lady (Carmel) delivers peanut and almond treats. Blade Tech (Carmel) sharpens knives. Hotz Pottery (Salinas) fires ceramics. Monterey Meringues (Carmel) rocks music-inspired sweets. Fringe Outerwear (Monterey) crochets hats and wraps. Alexander Gourmet Foods (Carmel Valley) shares jerky and salsas. Gus’ Big Bite(Monterey) combos gyros and chili fries. Hummus Heaven (San Leandro) mixes more than 20 flavors of dips to go with pita. Fish Princess Farm (Santa Cruz) crafts farmstead soaps and lotions. AspireLIFE (Carmel) cares for skin. Bee, Bark & Moss (Carmel) makes eco-friendly things like totes and (synergy alert) shopping bags.LifeSoil Systems transforms manure into soil amendments.

Jerry Lami and Jan Taylor of Redwood City-based West Coast Farmers Market Association man the controls. They also run the most politicized farmers market of all time in Carmel’s Thursday affair (see sidebar for daily schedule). After navigating the contentious business community and location and rule changes there, Carmel Valley will be a nice change. As Walter can attest, the reception will certainly be more enthusiastic.

FARMERS MARKETS

Monday

3-7pm • Pacific Grove Certified Farmers Market • Corner of Central and Grand Avenues, Pacific Grove

Tuesday

9am-1pm • Carmel Farmers Market (May-Oct) • 3618 The Barnyard, Carmel

10am-2:30pm • Farm Stand at CSUMB (March-May) • CSUMB Library 5th Avenue and Divarty Street, Seaside

11am-4pm • Alisal Certified Farmers Market (June-Oct) • 632 East Alisal St., Salinas

4-8pm • Old Monterey Marketplace • Alvarado Street, Monterey

Wednesday

11am-3:30­pm • Natividad Certified Farmers Market (May-Oct) • 1441 Constitution Blvd., Salinas

Thursday

10­am-2pm • Carmel-by-the-Sea Certified Farmers Market • Devendorf Park, Ocean Avenue, Carmel

4-8pm • Soledad Farmers Market (May-Sept) • Soledad Street, Soledad

Friday

10am-2pm • Monterey Peninsula College Certified Farmers Market • 930­ Fremont St., Monterey

2-6pm • Carmel Valley Certified Farmers Market • Carmel Valley Community Center, 25 Ford Road, Carmel Valley

2-6pm • SVMH Farmers Market (May-Oct) • 450 East Romie Lane, Salinas

Saturday

9am-2pm • Greenfield Farmers Market • El Camino Real and Palm Avenue, Greenfield

9am-2pm • Oldtown Salinas Saturday Certified Farmers Market • Gabilan Street between Main and Salinas Streets

Sunday

8am-noon • Del Monte Certified Farmers Market • Del Monte Shopping Center, 1410­ Del Monte Center, Monterey

10­am-2pm • Marina Everyone’s Harvest Certified Farmers Market • 215 Reservation Road, Marina

QUICKBITES

• Not long after his departure from Coastal Luxury Management (of upcoming Pebble Beach Food & Wine and Restaurant 1833 fame), Rob Weakley is hatching a whopper of a project designed to change the medicinal edibles industry. Get the drop on p. 23.

• Speaking of, Weakley also received a cross complaint from former bestie David Bernahl and the new partner that bought him out at CLM – in response to his complaint that he wasn’t being paid on time – alleging fraud and concealment. More on the blog.

• Five Guys Burgers & Fries in Salinas now does milkshakes.

• Pacific Grove’s La Piccola Casa has new rave-ready dishes like eggplant parmesan ($12.95) and a pizza with leek, onions, thyme, capers, pine nuts and asiago ($9.95). They also have barista Matthew Talley, one-time Ol’ Factory Cafe linchpin, on the team.

• The Presidential Task Force on Combating Seafood Fraud has released its action plan. This is good.

• When it rains, Wills Fargo Steakhouse pours its happy hour all night long starting March 17. That means half-off wine, beer, well drinks and appetizers like stuffed portobello.

• Wine discovery: A tiny 1-acre vineyard in Cachagua does a light, easy, blackberry-rich K-T Syrah (624-2931) that’s available at Star Market at a very fair price (around $21 or $22).

• MYO Pure Frozen Yogurt is officially open in Seaside’s City Center at Broadway and Fremont. More on the blog.

• Trio Carmel (800-860-3024) launches a wine seminar series with “Taste Like a Pro” 6pm Friday, March 27. Tom Farmer teaches the tasting process used by wine pros to analyze the nuances of grapes. Second comes a globetrotting tour of the pinot noir family lead by winemaker Chris Weidemann of Pelerin 6pm April 24 ($20/event; $10/wine club members).

• Acme Coffee now ships to APO and FPO addresses so service members can get fresh-roasted coffee from home, either through single purchases or the monthly Acme-Matic subscription service (starting at $19/month).

• Marvin Design Galley by Truitt & Whites hosts a free social hour 5-7pm Thursday, March 19 with glasses of wine and nibblets plus games. The manager plays a mean round of Jenga. Repeats every third Thursday of the month.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What lies behind us and lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”