San Joaquin Certified Farmers' Market is partnering with the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley to offer a new seasonal farmers' market near the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca.

The market starts on June 7 and runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of September.

It offers fresh produce, other food items, and handcrafted goods.

It is part of the same organization that stages year round farmers markets in downtown Tracy and Weberstown Mall in Stockton.

 The downtown farmers market on Maple Avenue was dropped due to the lack of an adequate customer base.

Some have blamed it on the relative off-the-beaten track location.

 The Urban Green Project — that is having the ribbon cutting for the new community garden created in partnership with the city on Thursday, June 12, at 10 a.m. — plans to participate in the farmers market taking place this year at Orchard Valley.

Eventually, they hope to possibly establish a downtown farmers market building off the synergy with a proposed food court at Library Park.

 Under the proposal that city leaders are currently negotiating with a private concern, upwards of 24 vendors — most in converted truck containers with some food trucks — would be based there.

It would be done without removing any park features while adding wrought iron fencing and tables chairs for al fresco dining.

Manteca’s new community garden next to the Center Street tennis courts across from the library won’t be just a place created to grow food.

It is being programmed as a learning center, a place to promote good nutrition, a community gathering place, and a way to learn that working in the soil with plants can elevate one’s well-being.

The community garden is a joint venture between the City of Manteca and Urban Green Project.

Manteca’s new community garden includes:

*a series of raised planting beds with their own water supply.

*gravel that helps to control the weeds around the planter boxes and control potential dust.

*a turf area for community events and such.

*security fencing.

*a storage container that has been adorned with a mural.

The goal is to create community gardens that function as educational and research hubs, community driven spaces and a place to grow food locally.

Ideally, the Center Street effort will eventually be replicated with other community gardens across Manteca.

They hope to connect each garden with a market to sell fresh goods, supporting local farmers and businesses and providing a full circle connection to restaurants, consumers and sustainable agriculture.

The organization is looking for volunteers as well as sponsors to help cover start-up costs.

To contact Urban Green, email hello@urbangreenproject.org

The website can be found at urbangreenproject.org.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com