Cozy vibe, big selection at Old Beach Farmers Market

Seeds for this farmers market were sown a few summers back when Virginia Beach restaurateur Laura Habr offered up her place as a pickup spot for CSA, or community-supported agriculture, products.

Intrigued, restaurant regulars said they wanted fresh, local produce, too. Habr invited another farmer to park a truck in her lot on Saturdays. An Eastern Shore clammer joined in. The Old Beach Farmers Market took root.

Now in its fourth summer, the market in the parking lot of Croc's 19th Street Bistro retains a small-town vibe despite its proximity to the Oceanfront madness. On a recent Saturday, shoppers arrived pulling dogs and pushing strollers and greeted neighbors with hugs and handshakes. Vendors offered everything from the first pink-eyed peas of the season to goat milk soap to freshly made lemon-basil fettuccine.

Be forewarned: there's a loyal following, and some items go fast.

"When I first started at the market I made 30 sweet potato biscuits with country ham," said Tracee Alt of Beachcombers Catering. "Now I make 400, and they are still all gone."

The scene A compact venue wrapped around a popular Oceanfront eatery that retains a neighborly vibe

The location In the parking lot of Croc's 19th Street Bistro, 620 19th St., Virginia Beach. For information, call (757) 428-5444 or visit www.oldbeachfarmersmarket.com. It's 18.7 miles from downtown Norfolk.

The hours Saturdays through Sept. 3, 8 a.m. to noon; fall market Oct. 15, 9 a.m. to noon; holiday markets Nov. 19 and Dec. 17, 9 a.m. to noon

Variety All the fruits of summer, plus a short stretch of tents where local eateries sell guacamole and salsa, pastas and sauces, sorbet and fresh mozzarella. Several Virginia's Finest products, including peanuts, cheeses and maple syrup, are sold by the organizers, with profits tilled back into the market.

Most unexpected offerings Right across the street, The Best Body Co. offered chair massages under a tent in the grass. Mattawoman Creek Farms arrived from the Eastern Shore with Green Zebra tomatoes, a handsome yellow variety with lime-green stripes.

Meat and seafood All-natural hot dogs made by the resident Bavarian butcher at the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery in Grandy, N.C.; pastured poultry and pork, grass-fed beef and fresh eggs from Full Quiver Farm in Suffolk; Eastern Shore clams grown by Chip and Keith Dodson, plus oysters, shrimp and tuna

Produce Tomatoes, eggplants, cukes, potted herbs, peaches, onions, potatoes, pink-eyed peas, beans, squashes, melons and an unusual treat: long beans from New Earth Farm in Virginia Beach

Prepared foods More than many local farmers markets - including fresh pastas, tarts, breads, brownies, muffins, biscotti, gluten-free baked goods, burritos, sorbet and sauerkraut

Parking Free parallel parking on adjacent streets. One handicapped spot is available in the Croc's parking lot.

Don't forget Bring cash, as well as a cooler and reusable bag for your purchases.

Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com