To Market, To Market

The bounty of nature is in full swing year round, but particularly in summer, with the most gorgeous produce on the planet growing right in our own back yard. Lucky us: We have an expansive array of beautiful, locally grown food, dairy and artisan products fashioned in our glorious north state just ready to be brought to our tables.

How Spoiled Are We?

There have always been those among us, not the least of them chefs and nutritionists, who have maintained that a locally produced food supply is not only safest for the consumer, but also a wise choice for the environment. Now that consumer confidence has been shaken by a string of recently disclosed food-safety crises, the value of healthy, traceable food has finally become a priority for a wider segment of the population.

This couldn’t please food safety advocates more. The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA.org), based in San Francisco and operator of the wildly successful Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, has made its mission, since 1994, to bring consumers closer to the source of their food. Bringing together artisans, growers and chefs, CUESA aims to bridge the gap between urban dwellers and their food supply stressing the importance of eating what’s in season, obtaining the highest-quality products with the gentlest production methods and teaching children, as well as their parents, how to enjoy food again. It all boils down to the idea that nurturing the body with healthy ingredients produced by people who are concerned for the earth, will nurture the nation’s soul as well.

Chefs everywhere applaud the effort – and who among us doesn’t want the freshest ingredients for all our meals? Ferry Plaza is one of hundreds of farmers’ markets in Northern California that make these fabulous finds more accessible to all consumers, effectively bridging the gap between the farm and the table. Smaller farms, artisan breadmakers and cheesemakers, even flower growers and salmon fishermen, gather at Ferry Plaza every Tuesday and Saturday, bringing their personal best to consumers from every walk of life.

Since 1947, the family-owned and operated Bruno Pepper Company of Lodi has grown and produced pickled peppers, asparagus spears and green beans. They maintain strict standards on growing, fertilization and production methods. The company recently introduced a specialized red wine vinegar, produced with Central Valley wine varietals and aged in oak barrels. Preparing food for others is a privilege according to the company’s third-generation owners.

“We encourage consumers to become a little more knowledgeable about the source of their food,” says Jeff Bruno. “I especially enjoy the chance to talk with someone about our products — that interaction is invaluable to both sides. And what grower doesn’t like the feedback when someone loves what you put so much work into?”

Such family traditions are the cornerstone of the local “slow” food movement.

Succulent strawberries, tender beans and crisp, green celery share space with artisan breads, seafood and dairy goods produced without unnecessary growth hormones and pesticides. Local production minimizes a negative impact on the environment due to the reduction of long-haul transportation.

Californians, accustomed to the accessibility of imported fresh produce year-round, may find it difficult to make the shift to in-season eating. Then again, where else does the climate afford such a variety, regardless of season? Northern California, in particular, is ripe for this movement. Carol Corda, a Sacramento native and earnest backyard vegetable gardener, is an inveterate shopper at farmers’ markets around Northern California. In the summer evenings, you’ll find her carefully tending her tomatoes, zucchini and peppers, but on most Saturday mornings, she’s headed out to the popular market in Davis, seeking fruits and vegetables.

“I want a piece of fruit to smell like fruit, and I want my vegetables to smell like they were just picked that morning,” says Corda. “And that’s what I go there to get – the freshness and the variety – because I can’t grow it all. Besides that, I love the atmosphere. The breads, the cheeses, I like to see all the things that people have worked so hard to produce.”

Our Local Food Chain

Thanks to growers such as Marty Jacobson and Janet Brown of Allstar Organics, based in Marin County, nature’s bounty is brought to the market in spades year-round. Allstar grows 60 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 45 varieties of winter squash, pumpkin and summer squash, as well as sweet peppers, beans, floral products, herbs and strawberries. They recently expanded to include essential oils and hydrosols from its herb farm. Sited among dairy farms, Allstar’s eight-acre vegetable farm is an oasis to wildlife, where natural pest control, composting, mulching and a farm pond bring safety to its workers and satisfaction to market shoppers.

Shoppers at CUESA’s market who are intrigued by the offerings but unsure when it comes to preparation methods will be relieved to know that growers are present and eager to discuss their favorite cooking techniques and recipes. Here is an environment where food is king, where the culture is very much about bringing the best to your table. As part of CUESA’s ambitious education program, a demonstration kitchen is open to the public
each Saturday, featuring chefs and artisans who help you get in touch with your inner organic cook. Learning to prepare healthy and delicious meals while having fun doing it is the goal. Judging by the scene, it’s working.

The tradition of a family gathered around the evening meal may seem like a nostalgic dream to those operating on fast-paced schedules and running in different directions, but taking time out to prepare and enjoy a meal
Together is a simple and wholesome way to connect. Take the whole family for an outing at your closest farmers’ market. Meet your local producers, dig into their fresh offerings and celebrate the good life with Northern California’s bounty. This just may be the ultimate grassroots effort, in every sense of the word.