Farmers Markets
Food & Wine
Mustard blooms in early spring
by Judi Gerber
California Family Farms
farmwriter@californiafamilyfarms.com
www.lafarmgirl.blogspot.com
Most people may not be aware that the New Oxford American Dictionary selected “locavore” as its 2007 Word of the Year. As Oxford points out, “a locavore is somebody who uses locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available food stuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.” Locavore was coined two years ago by four San Francisco women who proposed that local residents should try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius. Since then, other groups have adopted the same motto and the “movement” has spread.
The “Buy Local” movement encourages people to buy from farmers’ markets or local farms, or to grow their own food because they believe that fresh, local products taste better and are more nutritious. It’s also seen as a powerful weapon in the fight against global warming because locally produced food saves on transportation and energy by reducing the need to use non-renewable fossil fuel. Eating locally is also a way to help the local economy and to support family farmers.
Eating locally in California, eating farm fresh in fact, is easy for most people because California produces over one half of the nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables and no matter where in the state you find yourself, there are plenty of fresh local choices. For example, many communities have set up farm trail systems complete with farm trail maps that allow visitors to buy directly from the farm. The state now has nearly 30 organized farm trails to make things easier for travelers and locals alike, with trails from San Diego in the south up to the Gold Country. Another great resource for finding local foods is the Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ (CAFF) “Buy Fresh Buy Local” website. Its also perfect for residents and visitors in any California community because you simply enter your zip code or county and get a list of local farms, farmers’ markets, nurseries, grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries.
Local Harvest, a site similar to CAFF’s is perfect for those traveling within California and nation-wide since it allows visitors to search any zip code or county in the United States. One of the most popular, and easiest ways to eat locally is to shop at a local certified farmers’ market. There are certified markets in over 500 California communities. A “certified” farmers’ market means that only “real” farmers can sell their produce directly to the consumer and are certified by the local county that they are only selling the products that they have actually grown themselves.
The trend in eating local has also spread to many popular restaurants including Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse, owned by world-renowned chef Alice Water. Its menu has featured local ingredients since it first opened in 1971 and has set the trend for those that have followed.
Organized Farm Trails
UC Davis Agritourism Database www.calagtour.org
Farms of Amador County http://groups.ucanr.org/farmsofamador
(209) 223-6482
Calaveras Grown, www.calaverasgrown.org, (209) 754-6477
Apple Hill Growers Association, www.applehill.com, (530) 644-7692
El Dorado County Farm Trails, www.edc-farmtrails.org, (530) 676-4263
Napa Yolano Harvest Trails, www.napayolanoharvesttrails.org, (530) 644-7692
PlacerGROWN, Placer County, www.placergrown.org, (530) 889-7398
49er Fruit Trail www.sacramentogardening.com/49erFruitTrails.html"
www.sacramentogardening.com/49erFruitTrails.html, (530) 878-1047
Sonoma County Farm Trails, www.farmtrails.org, (707) 571-8288
Harvest Time in Brentwood, www.harvest4you.com, and (925) 634-4913
Country Crossroads, Santa Cruz & Santa Clara Counties, (no website) call (831) 724-1356
Central Coast Ag Adventures, HYPERLINK "http://www.agadventures.org" www.agadventures.org, (805) 772-5623
Central Valley Harvest Trails (Stanislaus County), www.spendtheday.org, (209) 522-7278
California Farmers’ Markets
California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets, www.cafarmersmarkets.com
Buy Local Resources
California Alliance For Family Farmers Buy Fresh Buy Local, http://guide.buylocalca.org
Local Harvest, www.localharvest.org
Restaurants Featuring Local Foods
Chez Panisse, www.chezpanisse.com
Acme Chophouse, www.acmechophouse.com
Hog Island Oyster Bar, www.hogislandoysters.com/v2
Mixt Greens, www.mixtgreens.com
Axe, www.axerestaurant.com
Tender Greens, www.tendergreensfood.com
Wilshire, www.wilshirerestaurant.com
Judi Gerber, a featured California Tour & Travel Magazine Columnist is an agriculture and garden writer from Torrance California, and the author of the new book Farming in Torrance and the South Bay by Arcadia Publishing. Write to her at:
farmwriter@californiafamilyfarms.com
www.lafarmgirl.blogspot.com
Farm Fresh Food
Be A Locavore in California!
Be A Locavore in California!
by Judi Gerber
California Family Farms
farmwriter@californiafamilyfarms.com
www.lafarmgirl.blogspot.com
Most people may not be aware that the New Oxford American Dictionary selected “locavore” as its 2007 Word of the Year. As Oxford points out, “a locavore is somebody who uses locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available food stuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.” Locavore was coined two years ago by four San Francisco women who proposed that local residents should try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius. Since then, other groups have adopted the same motto and the “movement” has spread.
The “Buy Local” movement encourages people to buy from farmers’ markets or local farms, or to grow their own food because they believe that fresh, local products taste better and are more nutritious. It’s also seen as a powerful weapon in the fight against global warming because locally produced food saves on transportation and energy by reducing the need to use non-renewable fossil fuel. Eating locally is also a way to help the local economy and to support family farmers.
Eating locally in California, eating farm fresh in fact, is easy for most people because California produces over one half of the nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables and no matter where in the state you find yourself, there are plenty of fresh local choices. For example, many communities have set up farm trail systems complete with farm trail maps that allow visitors to buy directly from the farm. The state now has nearly 30 organized farm trails to make things easier for travelers and locals alike, with trails from San Diego in the south up to the Gold Country. Another great resource for finding local foods is the Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ (CAFF) “Buy Fresh Buy Local” website. Its also perfect for residents and visitors in any California community because you simply enter your zip code or county and get a list of local farms, farmers’ markets, nurseries, grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries.
Local Harvest, a site similar to CAFF’s is perfect for those traveling within California and nation-wide since it allows visitors to search any zip code or county in the United States. One of the most popular, and easiest ways to eat locally is to shop at a local certified farmers’ market. There are certified markets in over 500 California communities. A “certified” farmers’ market means that only “real” farmers can sell their produce directly to the consumer and are certified by the local county that they are only selling the products that they have actually grown themselves.
The trend in eating local has also spread to many popular restaurants including Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse, owned by world-renowned chef Alice Water. Its menu has featured local ingredients since it first opened in 1971 and has set the trend for those that have followed.
Organized Farm Trails
UC Davis Agritourism Database www.calagtour.org
Farms of Amador County http://groups.ucanr.org/farmsofamador
(209) 223-6482
Calaveras Grown, www.calaverasgrown.org, (209) 754-6477
Apple Hill Growers Association, www.applehill.com, (530) 644-7692
El Dorado County Farm Trails, www.edc-farmtrails.org, (530) 676-4263
Napa Yolano Harvest Trails, www.napayolanoharvesttrails.org, (530) 644-7692
PlacerGROWN, Placer County, www.placergrown.org, (530) 889-7398
49er Fruit Trail www.sacramentogardening.com/49erFruitTrails.html"
www.sacramentogardening.com/49erFruitTrails.html, (530) 878-1047
Sonoma County Farm Trails, www.farmtrails.org, (707) 571-8288
Harvest Time in Brentwood, www.harvest4you.com, and (925) 634-4913
Country Crossroads, Santa Cruz & Santa Clara Counties, (no website) call (831) 724-1356
Central Coast Ag Adventures, HYPERLINK "http://www.agadventures.org" www.agadventures.org, (805) 772-5623
Central Valley Harvest Trails (Stanislaus County), www.spendtheday.org, (209) 522-7278
California Farmers’ Markets
California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets, www.cafarmersmarkets.com
Buy Local Resources
California Alliance For Family Farmers Buy Fresh Buy Local, http://guide.buylocalca.org
Local Harvest, www.localharvest.org
Restaurants Featuring Local Foods
Chez Panisse, www.chezpanisse.com
Acme Chophouse, www.acmechophouse.com
Hog Island Oyster Bar, www.hogislandoysters.com/v2
Mixt Greens, www.mixtgreens.com
Axe, www.axerestaurant.com
Tender Greens, www.tendergreensfood.com
Wilshire, www.wilshirerestaurant.com
Judi Gerber, a featured California Tour & Travel Magazine Columnist is an agriculture and garden writer from Torrance California, and the author of the new book Farming in Torrance and the South Bay by Arcadia Publishing. Write to her at:
farmwriter@californiafamilyfarms.com
www.lafarmgirl.blogspot.com
