Locals and visitors alike enjoy the Foothill Farmers’ Markets for their fun and lively atmosphere. But more importantly, farmers’ markets provide a way to buy regionally-grown food and connect with the farmers who grow it. If you aren’t yet a market regular (and the thought of mouth-watering peaches isn’t enough to convince you to be) here are some great reasons to make the farmers’ market part of your weekly summer agenda.
1. Support small farms. Small, family-run farms are disappearing in our country at an alarming rate. Since the early ‘60s, the U.S. has lost more than one and a half million farms. The reasons for the decline are many; development of farmland, aging farmers whose children don’t want to take over the business, large corporate farms buying out small farms, and federal farming policies that favor large-scale, industrial practices.
Small farms are multi-functional, providing economic and social benefit to the populations and businesses in rural towns. They also provide environmental benefit; in contrast to large farms that tend to grow monocultures, small farms generally grow a variety of crops, and the farmers have stronger connections to their land and soil than do the owners of large corporate farms.
2. Get fresh. Most of the produce at the farmers’ markets has been picked 24 hours prior to market. The result is fruit and veggies that have ripened naturally, have incredible flavor and retain their nutritive value. Grocery store produce, on the other hand, is often picked before it’s ripe, placed in storage and transported great distances before reaching the store, all factors that diminish flavor and nutritional content.
3. Variety. Visit Gary Romano’s booth at the Truckee and Tahoe City markets and you’ll find a kind of spinach you won’t see in the grocery store. Romano, owner of Sierra Valley Farms north of Truckee, grows an heirloom variety of spinach called Old Bloomsdale. Each week, Romano’s harvest contains an assortment of large and small leaves, some curlier than others. And that’s the reason you won’t find Old Bloomsdale in the grocery store.
‘Commercial spinach leaves have to be flat and uniform in size,’ says Romano, ‘so they can be handled by commercial stem-cutting machines.’ While such mechanization may result in less expensive spinach, it also limits your choices as a consumer. The advantage of Romano’s spinach, in addition to being organic and fresh-picked, is that it has superior flavor.
At the farmer’s market you’ll find other examples of fruits and vegetables not found in the grocery store. Some qualify as ‘heirloom,’ which are parent varieties that may date back one or two hundred years. Over time, breeders have hybridized, or cross-bred, these with other varieties to produce crops that are more drought tolerant, disease-resistant, higher yielding, or survive better during storage and transport. This result is fruits and vegetables that are marketable and profitable, not necessarily the most flavorful or interesting.
Not so at the farmer’s market. You’ll find peaches that couldn’t possibly survive a trip across the country, because they are ripe today. You’ll find five or six different kinds of tomatoes, and squash in a handful of shapes and colors. If you’re unfamiliar with the produce, ask the farmers for tips on storage and cooking. They’ll be happy to share their knowledge.
4. Buy regionally. Most of the growers at the farmers’ markets come from within a 100-mile radius. (An exception is the producer from Watsonville, whose strawberries, by geographic necessity, come from farther away.) Buying as locally as you can helps reduce transport costs and gas consumption associated with trucking food long distances, a practice typical in the food industry.
5. Support organic agriculture. Some, but not all, of the farmers at the markets are certified organic. Try to support these farmers whenever you can, because it takes a great deal of effort, dedication, and expense to achieve – and annually maintain – organic status. In addition to the obvious practice of omitting chemical pesticides, organic farmers adhere to a long list of sustainable, earth-friendly, non-toxic practices. Incidentally, very small organic farms that sell less than $5,000 per year are allowed to forego formal certification as long as they register with the state.
Organic food may cost a little more, but try to buy at least some of your food from these dedicated farmers. The more we support them, the more we reduce the chemical load in our environment (and bodies) and support the health and well-being of our water, soil, wildlife and ourselves. Look specifically for the word ‘organic’ on the farmers’ signs.
That said, I do need to point out that many farmers at the market, though not officially ‘organic,’ engage in some organic practices. When in doubt, ask how the food is grown. If your organic dollars are limited, spend them on the fruits and veggies that are typically highest in pesticides. According to the non-profit Environmental Working Group, these are (in descending order) peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots and green beans.
6. Get your daily ‘5 to 9.’ It’s hard to always meet the recommended, and vitally important, ‘5 to 9’ serving of fruits, vegetables and legumes a day recommended by the American Cancer Society. But it sure is easier when there are fresh summer berries ready to eat for breakfast, a bowl of juicy peaches available for snacking, and peppers and squash on the grill for dinner. If the flavors aren’t enough to entice you, remember that the fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals in produce collectively help maintain weight and reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes.
7. Beyond fruits and veggies. You’ll find much more at the markets than just produce. Among the many other offerings are East Indian food, grass-fed beef from Quincy, wild-caught seafood, homemade jams, chutneys and marinades, fresh-baked breads and goodies, and organic olive oil and cocktail sauces. There is even natural pet food.
If you don’t feel like cooking, take home a pre-made meal from Confluence Kitchen, a new kid on the block that boasts an array of creative meals-to-go made from local and organic ingredients. Or visit Le Petite Creperie at the Tahoe City market and enjoy a freshly-made ham and cheese crepe as you sit on the shore of Lake Tahoe. (If that’s not decadent enough, make it a chocolate-banana crepe.)
Market fare even goes beyond the edible. Artists from Tahoe and beyond offer an assortment of creative and colorful wares, including handmade soaps and lotions, beautifully decorated gourd bowls and birdhouses, jewelry, hand-painted tiles, knitted scarves and Native American art. And the flowers, of course, are indescribably beautiful.
Holly Beatie, Truckee resident and owner of High Sierra Botanicals, offers a line of tinctures, salves and lotions that incorporate the healing properties of flower essences. Two of my favorites are the Insomnia tincture for a good night’s sleep and the Clear Thinking formula to help meet deadlines. The soothing, antiseptic Ah-Mend salve is an essential for summertime cuts and abrasions.
It’s already August, so get out there and visit your local market while it’s still in summer swing. Though the berries won’t be around much longer, you can enjoy the transition into fall as the market brings you pears, apples, pumpkins and other autumn treats. Oh, and the eighth great reason to visit the farmers’ market? It’s fun.
Foothill Farmers’ Markets
Hours and Locations
• Truckee: Regional Park, Tuesdays through October 9
• Tahoe City: Commons Beach, Thursdays through Oct. 25
• Kings Beach: Coon Street and Hwy 28, Tuesdays through Sept. 4
• Homewood: Homewood Ski Resort, Saturdays through Sept. 1
All markets run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
