My family are hardcore skiers. Not in the sense that we swoop down the slopes like experts, but rather in that we ski nearly every weekend. If you’ve ever travelled on Interstate 80 during ski season, you know that requires extreme dedication. The traffic is horrendous!
To break up the monotony of what can be an endless drive we look for new places to stop along the way, and I wanted to share one with you: Pedrick Produce. It’s not a fancy place, but if you’re like me and like farm fresh produce, this is the place for you.
Pedrick Produce's Original Metal Quonset Hut (courtesy of daviswiki.org)
Located in a metal barn set alongside I-80 in Dixon, what immediately strikes you is that Pedrick’s parking lot is full. And so is the store inside. Four cashiers ring up produce purchases for patient customers. The store’s interior is crammed with bags of fruits and vegetables, as well as flavored and plain nuts of all varieties (a nut fan’s heaven!). The prices aren’t bad either. Asparagus for a dollar a pound. Apples for 49 cents a pound. Off-season tomatoes for $1.19 a pound. A whole lot cheaper than Safeway and without the spit-shine production that makes Safeway’s produce seem a little too slick.
As I walked around this flourishing produce stand, I was struck by the similarities to another produce stand institution along I-80–Ikeda’s in Auburn. If you’ve ever stopped at Ikeda’s for a burger, you know the produce stand there has expanded beyond fruits, vegetables, and nuts to included baked goods, wine, and seafood. Give Pedrick’s a few years, and I’m sure they’ll head the same way, opening a restaurant and bakery. Which is fine by me. I’m always on the look out for a new place to eat…
Note to Locavores: Not all of Pedrick’s produce is local. Some comes from other parts of California, Washington state, and even Mexico. If local production is important to you, stick to farmers markets. However, Pedrick’s is still worth a visit, if only to check out the vast selection of nut snacks!
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True, not all their produce is local, but we can vouch for some, if not all, their local mandarins.
Excellent point. Pedrick’s markets locally grown produce and nuts– including some excellent local mandarins courtesy Gold Oak Ranch! The purist locavore should know, however, that not all of Pedrick’s produce is from the immediate area.
sounds like a really cool place…