AT THE GIBSON FARMER MARKET
What began as a roadside farm stand selling corn in the year 1982 has now grown into one of Fresno State’s most beloved institutions. Today we know it as the Gibson Farm Market, a name whose origin can be traced to the generosity of Joyce Mae Gibson’s estate. Her $2 million donation in honor of her parents, Rue and Gwen Gibson, paved the way for the sprawling 4,800-square-foot building that now stands on Chestnut Avenue just south of Barstow on the California State University, Fresno campus. “The market was chosen as the gift focus since Joyce enjoyed shopping at the campus farm market and encouraged her friends to do likewise,” shares Alcidia Freitas Gomes, Fresno State Ag One Foundation Executive Director. “The donation was used to design and construct the brand-new farm market, improve equipment, and help the market grow with the addition of an ice cream counter and more space than ever before.” Now, it serves the community by offering hundreds of fresh, nutritious products and Bulldog merchandise and gifts.
It was on April 19th, 2012, when the cherished Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market broke ground at its current site. Less than a year later, on March 18th, 2013, it opened to the world. Joyce’s donation launched a new chapter in the market’s story. But the improvement of the Central Valley and the university that imparts agricultural education there occupied a special place in the Gibsons’ hearts throughout their lives. “During their lifetimes, Rue and Gwen Gibson served the Fresno community in many ways. As a member of a Fresno law firm, Rue Gibson also worked on bringing electricity to Fresno County foothill residents. Gwen Gibson received her teaching credential from Fresno State, and spent the next 20 years teaching in Fresno County schools,” reveals Alcidia. “Joyce Gibson followed in her parents’ footsteps with careers in teaching at the Fresno Unified School District and practicing law with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. She and her father were among the first father-daughter legal teams in Fresno, and she also served as Dean of Women’s Studies at Cabrillo College.”
Today’s market has come a long way since its humble beginning in the 1980s. Initially, it “sold student-grown sweet corn and fresh fruit and watermelon from the University Agricultural Laboratory. Soon after, the dairy processing unit began to sell ice cream from a roadside ice cream freezer that was powered by a long extension cord,” Alcidia recalls. A significant milestone was achieved in 1986, when the market found a new abode in its first building on the southeast corner of Barstow and Chestnut, where campus grapes and stone fruits were packed. Walls and a roof were added in the 1990s, which eventually endowed the market with a distinct identity and facilitated the sale of more student-made products. Like its other farm units, the market is mainly student-run with only one full-time, non-student manager. “With each passing year, Fresno State students could see their hard work and dedication to their education being enjoyed by the local community like never before as the market expanded to include food processing, meat science, floral, and horticultural enterprise products,” adds Alcidia.
A confluence of philanthropy, community, and education, the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market continues to reach and teach the Central Valley in ways that no other educational institution can lay claim to.
LB Tell us about Fresno State’s relationship with GFM. What departments are involved?
GFM Most parts of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology’s six academic departments and 18 campus farm enterprises are involved. Most all of the items are supplied by the university and its farm, and everything is somehow produced, packaged, or handled by students. The majority of the food products in the market come from the nearby meat lab, orchards, vegetable crops, vineyard, winery, and creamery. Plant science students from our horticultural nursery help to grow and sell plants. Food science and nutrition students and staff supply fresh, baked products, jarred sauces and jams, and healthy, pre-prepared meal items.
LB How is the GFM an embodiment of Fresno State?
GFM Fresno State is committed to giving students a hands-on education and experience that they can apply directly to their careers. Students can easily view the entire circle of agriculture without leaving campus. A product could be started by students on the campus farm, and its trajectory could be followed all the way to the consumer who purchases the finished product at the farm market.
LB What makes the GFM such an enduring and special part of Fresno State?
GFM Having a 1,000-acre campus farm right next to campus and in the middle of a large city is very unique anywhere—especially one with so many different farm units. The Central Valley is the nation’s leading agricultural area because it produces so many high-end commodities, so having a wide variety of products prepares our students for a host of exciting agricultural and food processing careers. The market location has an educational aspect to it, since community members and their families can drive by our nearby agricultural enterprises, before they buy fresh products, and get insight into how their food is produced.
LB What are the market’s most popular products?
GFM Fresno State’s yellow and white sweet corn is very popular and is usually available from approximately Memorial Day through Labor Day. People drive from all over the Valley to buy it, and sometimes they will purchase several 50-ear boxes to share with friends and neighbors, too. Sweet corn opening day is the market’s busiest day each year. People usually start to line up outside at 4:30AM, even though the market doesn’t open until 8:00AM that day. All the TV stations come out and ask what makes the corn taste so special. The staff answers the same way every year—the daily care and pride put into producing a great-tasting product—which applies to all our farm market products.
Since produce is available year-round, the community loves our fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetable selection, as well as our baked goods and jarred products. The meat lab is known as one of the nation’s best on a college campus and offers a variety of popular meat cuts and over 20 flavors of sausage, salami, jerky, and snack sticks. The creamery has also been voted the best in local reader’s polls, and makes more than 20 different ice cream flavors and cheese year-round. During the winter holidays, people do a lot of their shopping at the market, and take advantage of a wide selection of flavored and candied nuts to go with wine, meat, cheese, and Fresno State gift items in customer-tailored gift boxes.
LB What is exclusively found here?
GFM Besides its meat and ice cream products, the Gibson Farm Market is the only place to find all of Fresno State’s wine offerings. The campus is very proud of its winery that has won over 300 awards, and it was the first to be bonded on a college campus in 1989. It still is the largest on a college campus and uses high-quality grapes from the 120-acre campus vineyard as well as other well-known vineyards in the Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Wine enthusiasts can usually pick between 20 new vintages of white, red, and rosé wines each year.
LB Share about the Gibson Farm Market’s seasonal offerings.
GFM In the fall, we have a large selection of pumpkins, squash, and grapes. A wide variety of citrus starts to appear in the fall and continues through the winter and spring. We also offer asparagus, strawberries, cherries, and stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and pluots in the spring and the summer. We try to start selling corn at the beginning of June, followed by melons, peppers, tomatoes, squash, and grapes through the end of summer.
LB What special events does GFM put on?
GFM We have two main events: a spring plant sale and a fall festival. This year, the fall festival took place on October 21st. Wine tastings are often held for free throughout the fall and spring semesters and hosted by students from our wine marketing classes. Spring and fall public events at the farm market are a great way for the community to meet students and learn more about how the farm operates. Our Jordan College has similar events, like an open house that was held on Saturday, October 7th from 9:00AM to noon, and the centennial tailgate event before the football homecoming game on Saturday, October 28th.
LB How does the market hope to evolve in its near future?
GFM Our food science and nutrition classes are a great example of how students and staff constantly develop new products. Our agricultural business students and faculty are even involved, and often conduct research on new products to gain consumer feedback. Our orchard and vegetable units are always trying to integrate new products, so you might see new types of melons or even figs in the near future. Customers can always keep an eye out for new wines, sausage, and ice cream flavors, and baked and jarred items on our Fresno State Jordan College social media platforms.
Editorial Director Lauren Barisic
Photographer Geoff Thurner
