Comments on: Do You Visit the Farmers When They Come to Town?

By: Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:14:38 +0000

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

By: erin

erin — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:20:28 +0000

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??).

By: Colleen Cuisine

Colleen Cuisine — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 03:56:35 +0000

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.

By: Jonah

Jonah — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 23:41:53 +0000

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.

By: Lisa B.

Lisa B. — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 22:30:00 +0000

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.

By: MaxMillion

MaxMillion — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 21:11:14 +0000

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…

By: MaxMillion

MaxMillion — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 21:07:04 +0000

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.

By: erin

erin — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 19:53:10 +0000

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.

By: santos.

santos. — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 06:21:49 +0000

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.

By: doodles

doodles — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 01:09:50 +0000

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.