Just think: If it hadn’t been for the farmers market, I would never have known kiwi fruit foods; dim and odd-looking on the outside, but sweet and delightful on the inside.
The kiwi was largely unknown to Californians – after all, who would take such an unfortunate chance? — until the rush to L.A. Farmers was connected in 1970.
Now, it is accepted as part of the issue in conventional grocery stores, but farmers markets to introduce it to consumers, according to Catherine Barr , executive director of the nonprofit Certified Monterey Bay Farmers Market. This nonprofit organization, which manages four markets, three of them on the Monterey Peninsula of California, guarantee all through the certification process. Their markets are made in California, and they are sold by the farmers who grow or make them.
“A lot of these farmers sell produce that you won’t see in the grocery store,” Barr said. “The beauty of the farmers market is that you can really talk to the farmer and explain what he’s doing with the produce.”
Finding the perfect organic strawberry, those Asian specialties like long beans and bitter melons, or raw nuts in bulk, has never been easier. Farmers markets have sprung up all around Monterey County in recent years, allowing small farmers to make a living and consumers to benefit from the bounty.
And it’s the perfect way to sample some of the rarer items that California farmers grow.
Every Local Farmers Market has its own personality and unique mix of items for sale. At the Old Monterey Market, on Alvarado Street year round, a plethora of ethnic food vendors attract a crowd of diners who hawk the lucrative trades and workers’ wages. At the Monterey Peninsula College Market, the county’s oldest for 35 years, live plants and fresh flowers are only sought after. food
Some markets also have additional missions, such as the farmers market held on Wednesdays in front of the Natividad Medical Center in Salinas. It was proposed three years ago as a joint project between the county health department and the hospital as a way to promote nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
“I love to see the little kids (at the market) biting into strawberries rather than eating chips,” said Andrea Rosenberg, manager of Natividad, which organizes the market. And although it originally focused on hospital staff and patients, the market now draws community members from the neighborhoods that surround the hospital.
Most local farmers markets are also an outlet for education and community awareness. Old Monterey Marketplace has a “free speech corner” where politics or other concerns can be aired; market manager Ray Headley notes that one of the highlights of the corner is the man who gives away free books every week. “That one for years,” Headley said.
Some markets encourage non-profit shops alongside produce vendors; Still others offer free entertainment, such as the Oldtown Salt Market. They are primarily involved in producing something; others have a wider variety of sale items, such as baked goods, grass-fed beef, fresh food; preserves organic eggs and honey, as well as garlic.
There is a farmer’s market held somewhere in Monterey County every day of the week. Here are some popular markets;
CARMEL
Barnyard: Tuesdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May to September, Barnyard Shopping Village
MARINA
Marina Farmers Market: Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year round, 215 Reservation Road
MONTEREY
Del Monte Center: Sunday 8 a.m.-noon, May through October, Whole Foods parking lot
Monterey Peninsula College: Mondays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round, lower parking lot.
Old Monterey Market: Tuesdays 4-8 p.m., year round, Alvarado Street
PACIFIC FOREST Farmers’ Market: Fridays 4-7 p.m., year-round, Central and Main Streets
the coast of the sea
University Farmers Market Plaza: Fridays 4-8 p.m., year round, Fremont Boulevard and Echo Avenue.
SALINAS
Alisal Certified Farmers Market: Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., opening hours TBA, 632 E. Alisal St.
Natividad Medical Center Farmers Market: Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m., March through November, 1441 Constitution Blvd.
Oldtown Salinas Marketplace: Saturdays 9 a.m.-2 p.m., year-round, across the street from Mayan Cinemas.
SOUTH COUNTY
Greenfield Sunday Market, Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m., TBA
King City Farmers Market: Wednesdays, 4-7 p.m., 4-Oct. 26, South Valley Auto Plaza parking lot, 905 Broadway St.
Soledad Farmers Market: Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., May through October, Encinal Street
Additional details, such as vendor tables and parking information, can be found at omnesharvest.org, www.montereybayfarmers.org, www.oldmonterey.org and www.oldtownsalinas.com.
