These San Jose farmers markets stay open all winter, and some double CalFresh dollars

Shoppers don't have to give up farmers markets for the winter.  At least three Saturday markets in San Jose say they stay open all year, according to the groups that run them.

Willow Glen:  Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1425 Lincoln Ave., "open weekly, year 'round, rain or shine," says the Urban Village Farmers' Market Association.  It lists holiday closure dates on its market schedule.

Rose Garden:  Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 577 Dana Ave., "open year round," says the West Coast Farmers' Market Association.

Leigh High School:  Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 5210 Leigh Ave., year-round, says CHAMP Farmer Markets.

Downtown:  The Downtown Farmers' Market runs Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 101 Paseo de San Antonio.

How there is produce in winter:  Much of California has a mild climate without the hard winters and heavy snow that farms in the Great Plains face, says the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association (PCFMA).  Farmers switch to cool-season crops, which grow best in daytime temperatures of 55 to 75 degrees and can survive a short freeze, according to UC Master Gardeners, a University of California program.

PCFMA's seasonal guide lists oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruit and kiwifruit as winter fruit, plus kale, chard, lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, leeks and winter squash.  Its citrus page lists growers in Central Valley towns such as Reedley, Fresno and Los Banos.

Farmers sell what they grow:  At a certified farmers market, such as Leigh High School's, farm products may be sold only by the farmer or the farmer's authorized representative, says the California Department of Food and Agriculture.  Each stand must post a banner naming the farm, the county where it grows its products and a phrase such as "We Grow What We Sell."  State inspectors visit farms and markets to check.

Stretching food benefits:  The Willow Glen market matches CalFresh, California's food-stamp program paid through an EBT card, dollar for dollar up to $15 for fruits and vegetables, its operator says.  The Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association runs a similar Market Match program, for a limited time up to $15 per visit, at its markets' information booths.

Source:  Market operator websites, Urban Village, West Coast, CHAMP, San Jose Downtown Association and PCFMA, checked Nov. 1, 2026; PCFMA's blog, seasonal guide and citrus page; UC Master Gardeners of Napa County; the California Department of Food and Agriculture.  Map data from OpenStreetMap.