Part 1: Dirty. Smart. Choo-choo.

Before it was “Davis,” it was just extremely good dirt. A perfect little spot in the Sacramento valley fed by the Yolo Basin and Putah Creek floodplains creating deep, nutrient-rich alluvial soil. When you couple that with flat terrain, that makes for easy plowing, a Mediterranean climate that offers long growing seasons, and being close enough to the Bay Area to move crops to market you can see why I ask what do you get when a farmers market and the university of california decide to make a city?

After the Gold Rush, many settlers realized farming was more reliable than mining. By the late 1800s, this area became part of California’s massive wheat boom. The Central Valley was called the “breadbasket of the world” for a reason.

So Davis started with agriculture first. Then came education.

The railroad makes it permanent.

In 1868, the Southern Pacific Railroad ran through the area. A depot was built. The town formed around it and was called Davisville, later shortened to Davis.

Railroads did two critical things making large-scale agriculture profitable and made the area strategically important for state infrastructure. Without the railroad, Davis probably stays just farmland.

Why did UC agriculture end up here?

Now we get to the pivot.

The University of California was founded in Berkeley in 1868 as a land-grant institution. Under the Morrill Act, land-grant universities were required to teach agriculture and mechanical arts.

Problem: Berkeley was not ideal for hands-on farming instruction.

So in 1905, the UC Regents purchased 778 acres of farmland near Davis to create the University Farm, a practical training site for agriculture students.

So why MyDavis? Well it was already agricultural land and like we’ve mentioned and you’ve seen it’s flat and ideal for experimentation (and we find out later biking). It was close enough to Berkeley by rail, had cheap land at the time, and already existing strong farming in the region needing research

It wasn’t glamorous. It was practical.

The agriculture focus snowballed. Once the University Farm opened, something happened: Quickly crop science research expanded, irrigation studies grew, and plant breeding programs developed. The university’s reach extended into the real world with cooperative extension programs connected directly with farmers.

California agriculture was exploding. With citrus, almonds, dairy, grapes as far as the eye could see and the state needed applied science.

Davis became the working laboratory for California farming and In 1959, it officially became University of California, Davis.

Part 2: Damn hippies

It didn’t start as a “cute community thing” It started as a correction to a broken system.

Let’s paint a picture of the time and what the world looked like in the late 1970s. We have farmers who are getting squeezed by distributors and grocery chains. Consumers had zero connection to where food came from and good ole UCD was here pumping out ag research like crazy, but locals weren’t directly benefiting from it.

So in 1976, a small group launched the Davis Farmers Market with a simple idea:

Let farmers sell directly to people. No middleman.

That was radical at the time. The reason why Davis pulled was a very specific combination of an Educated population (UC Davis influence), agriculture right outside city limits, a very progressive, early-adopter culture (again UC Davis influence), yet small enough to test ideas, and wealthy enough to support them. Most towns had farms or educated consumers. Davis had both in the same place. That’s the real unlock.

Part 3: Davis Farmers Market 50th Anniversary

Now this year, 2026, we are celebrating 50 years of the Davis Farmers Market. We are so lucky to have one of the best atmospheres any little city our size could ask for. It’s a cool spring day, the sun hugs the Sacramento Valley, and you’re lucky enough to find yourself leaned back on a picnic blanket in Central Park. Your partner smiles at you while opening up the picnic basket you purchased last week from Mables Farm. She starts pulling out the MyDavis bounty you’ve collected for this special day. A perfectly chilled bottle of award-winning Chardonnay from Great Bear Vineyard, your Viareggio from Zia’s, her North African Passion dips with fresh fruit and cheese from the Davis Farmers Market. The music starts soon, and if the kids are good, it’s YoloBerry for dessert. This is MyDavis.