Do You Visit the Farmers When They Come to Town?
Friday, July 14, 2006 8:21The farmer’s (or is it farmers, or farmers’?) markets have been positively exploding with fresh fruits and veggies over the last few weeks. The stone fruits are bountiful, the cherries are still around and even lychees are popping up here and there.
My question to you, is “do you visit your local farmer’s market?” Where do you go, how does it compare with other markets that you have been to? Do you think that the prices are fair and/or affordable? Are there items that you wait all year for?
Beyond the popular Santa Monica and Hollywood Farmer’s markets, I am always suprised at the smaller markets that pop up during the week. If you’re not sure where your closest market is you can check farmernet or the Southland Farmers’ Market Association for location and times.
By Jonah (see more of his posts). Jonah is the founder of la.foodblogging and also created Digesty, a food blog aggregator and Cheww.com, a spam free foodblog search engine.
Briana says:
July 14th, 2006 at 9:18 am
I use Farmersnet to keep track of what’s in sesaon at the market but there site has been down intermittently for the past month. Highly annoying. I have to pay more attention to the Good Food broadcast on Saturdays now.
KT says:
July 14th, 2006 at 9:25 am
I usually go to the Melrose Place Farmer’s Market on Sundays. It’s small, but they have plenty of produce to choose from, a good source for gerber daisies, a Greek food man who feeds you endless samples and it’s a good mile and a half walk from my apartment so I feel like I’m getting good exercise when I go there.
Over the 4th of July holiday I walked to the West Hollywood Farmer’s Market on Monday, which I never usually get to go to. Now I’m sad I don’t get to go, because Laurent Bonjour sells cheeses there, and he is my new food-boyfriend.
VeggieGal says:
July 14th, 2006 at 11:10 am
I usually go to the Silver Lake farmers’ market on Saturdays. It’s very small, but I love getting coffee from Vietnamese Soy Cafe, who have a booth where they make the most wonderful ban mi, and strolling through the small market picking up my veggies for the week.
Mooncrazy says:
July 14th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
I live in Simi Valley which is on the edge of some local farming with roadside markets but I still head for the “organic” Thursday afternoon get to gether in Thousand Oaks. They have now come into the full bloom of summer fruit. Peach abound! The cheese vendor from central valley is worth the trip.
I’m hooked on the local farm fare but usually have to augment my weekly purchases at Trader Joe’s.
Kathryn says:
July 14th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
For the poster above - Laurent Bonjour is at Culver City market every Tuesday, FYI.
Jonah says:
July 14th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
We get a lot of our produce from the Santa Monica market, mostly the one on Wednesday that my wife goes to weekly.
On Sundays, we like to go to the market at Main and Ocean Park, mostly for the prepared foor - Carbon Grill, Tamales, Crepes, etc. I like the live music too.
I think that the prices are fair, the only time I think that things are a bit overpirced are when they are out of season, which makes sense.
sneakypeteiii says:
July 14th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
South Pasadena on Thursday afternoons has been wonderful, and an excellent source of ripe heirloom tomatoes. There are also a couple farmers who sell some of the best peaches and nectarines around.
Pasadena Victory Park on Saturdays has to be my favorite in the area, however, because of Mr. Ha’s Apples. I also love the granola from the Scone Age Bakery.
doodles says:
July 14th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
I live in a state (Florida) that you would think there would be many, many farmers markets.
There isn’t this time of the year but there is in the earlier months of the year.
santos. says:
July 14th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
the public markets throughout the state are farmers’ markets, the freestanding building at third and fairfax is farmers market, a market featuring a single farmer’s produce would be a farmer’s market.
i like the la cienega+18th street market because it’s small but it has everything i need–a decent selection of organic produce amongst the regular stalls, an egg seller, good selection of herbs/plants/flowers, a really, really good bacon-wrapped hotdog stand :) and of lots of free parking, even though i walk. for a bigger market with more prepared foods and organic produce, i go to the hollywood one on ivar+selma.
erin says:
July 15th, 2006 at 11:53 am
I go weekly. Usually to the gargantuan Hollywood market for the best selection (and occasional celeb sightings–last week was Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Jake Gyllenhal–despite having the worst celeb radar ever I could at least pick them out). I also go to Silver Lake and Atwater Village when I can’t stand the insanity of the Hollywood one, and to get fresh, homemade ricotta from Cardone’s Mozzarella. I also like the South Pas Thurs night and Santa Monica Sunday markets for the live music, social atmosphere and prepared food vendors.
MaxMillion says:
July 15th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
I go to my local farmers market every Sunday (Ventura Place, Studio City — it’s small but sufficient) but I really only buy a select few items. I’ve noticed that a lot of the product isn’t as high quality as you can often get at either Whole Foods or TJs and is still priced around the same. For example, the lady who sells the eggs only has really small ones available at her market stall. Clearly the larger and best eggs go to her clients first.
So I am really picky about what I buy at my Farmers Markets.
* Flowers every week from All Seasons Flowers. Approx $26-30 for three huge bunches of the most sensational lillies I’ve ever seen. I’m talking about the splendidly fragrant and big-bloomed white with yellow centred Concha d’Or; the vibrantly pink and exquisitely scented Starfighter, sister to the Stargazer lily. With a bit of care throughout the week (plant food, topping vases up with water and lopping dead flowers also removing the pollen-laden stamens) these arrangements last for a week and a half. I’ve seen these flowers go for $3 or more per stem, so as far as I’m concerned, this is the only affordable way to fill your house with flowers that you can enjoy all week long.
*I also get this fantastically smoky baba ganoush and homemade felafel from “Mom’s kitchen” stall that I have never seen anywhere else.
*I get these wonderful organic strawberries from one specific stall at a great price that drops as the season progresses.
*Sometimes I get tomatoes and organic stone fruit and salad greens.
But I have been disappointed by lame and overpriced veg — asparagus, for example — so I really don’t stock up for the week at the Markets.
I just go for my faves.
MaxMillion says:
July 15th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
p.s.
The Studio City Farmers Market is only open on Sundays mornings, from early (?) until around 12.30pm, when you can pick up some bargains as the stalls are closing.
Also I never go for the prepared foods. I had the misfortune to sample the WORST crepe ever to pass my lips. Once bitten…
Lisa B. says:
July 15th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
The Santa Barbara Saturday farmers’ market is great. We have markets almost every day of the week in various places around the community, but Saturday is still the biggest. Even the prepared foods are good. Lots of organics. Can’t wait for the later summer fruits and veggies to start showing up!
Thanks for the heads up on good LA markets; when I’m in town I always want to go to one, but don’t know WHICH one.
Jonah says:
July 15th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Lisa- when I lived in SB, I used to love the State Street market on Tuesday (?) evenings, but the Saturday market did have better stuff.
Colleen Cuisine says:
July 16th, 2006 at 7:56 pm
I go to the Sunday Hollywood Farmer’s Market every week and it’s great. I love the avocado lady. She has about 10 different varieties of avocados, separated by ripeness level and they’re always perfect.
I’ve also been to the El Segundo Farmer’s Market (very close to your/my office), but was disappointed. Only a few produce stalls, none of them that great, and the food stands didn’t seem particularly interesting (although in all fairness, I didn’t try any prepared food… it may be good). Such a cute neighborhood though, it’s fun to just take a stroll at the end of a workday.
erin says:
July 17th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Maxmillion….really??? You find the produce at TJs as good as what you get at the markets? That hasn’t been my experience at all…what TJ’s do you go to–I’m missing out. :) I find the produce to be much fresher and focused on what’s in season–not all vendors are created equal for sure, but there are many at Hollywood esp. that are just top notch and I’ve never found anything better at the stores (and certainly not cheaper at Whole Foods).
For example, the stone fruit at TJ’s is dead and cold and hard while I find amazing peaches, plums and nectarines at the market–plus you can almost always sample the wares so you know what you’re getting. Same with sugar snap peas and fresh favas (can you even get those at the grocery??).
Sam Cooke says:
March 19th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I think the Channel Islands Farmers MArket on Sundays from 10 - 2pm is the best because it is on the waterside and has real Oxnard produce & strawberriess. I also like Simi Valleys Farmers Market and Northridge Farmers Market & Family Festival