Tony  Mellow's family has been farming in the Silicon Valley for four  generations, since the 1800s. His grandparents started the first of the   family farms, growing apricots, prunes, and pears for the local  canneries. His father continued the tradition, adding farms spread  across the San Francisco Bay area to grow walnuts and  fruit for local canneries and prune dehydrators. Tony always knew he  wanted to be a farmer and has been farming since he was 12. In 1966, he started  growing pumpkins and miscellaneous vegetables and by 1977 he owned his  own ranch in Morgan Hill. He went to the Garden City Farmers' Market in   San Jose when it opened. "That was the first of the local farmers'  markets, before farmers markets got big" he remembers. Today, he has  built his business around farmers markets and says they are the only way   small and medium sized farms will survive in an urban area. He has been selling at Heart  of the City Farmers Market since the very first day and remembers the  huge crowd of people who were lined up before dawn on opening day.    There was nowhere else to buy produce if you lived in this neighborhood  in 1981, and today is much the same.  A painting of Tony selling his  goods is incorporated in a mural on Taylor street, which was created as a  celebration of neighborhood pride. After 30 years selling here, Tony  and his produce are an important part of this neighborhood.  It's obvious he loves what he does. Tony is  also a very important part of this market, he is a dedicated volunteer  on our Board of Directors and is currently serving as Board Treasurer.  He helped start the discussion of a Friday market day with the Board  that has grown into our August 3 Friday Market grand opening.