Windmill Farms Open for Business

is back in season.

After closing for a month-and-a-half to truck through the deadest stretch of winter, the open-air market has opened its doors again. And they'll stay open through December – every day of the week.

The tiny shop started out as a fruit stand, back when San Ramon Valley Boulevard was a country road and the closest grocery store was in Dublin. Windmill Farms was here before Bishop Ranch, even before the city's incorporation in 1983.

Carol Benavidez was 5 years old when her father and his brother – Earl and Lester Smith – founded the business. Today, the 41-year-old Benavidez helps run her dad's open-air market right next to the .

"Back then, there wasn't really a place where you could get your produce [in the San Ramon Valley] unless you drove all the way to Dublin," Benavidez said. "This was the first of its kind out here."

From a roadside stand, the market has grown into a year-round establishment that offers seasonal, and as much as possible local, produce at competitive prices.

Will it compete with the San Ramon farmers market, ?

"No," says Benavidez. "We're different. We're open every day, not just a couple times a week."

Thinking of stopping by? The store's at at 2255 San Ramon Valley Blvd., next to the Outpost and plenty of parking. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.