#farmers-markets

#farmers-markets

Norwich Meadows Farm, an organic farm based in Norwich, New York, reported on Instagram that a major fire destroyed its main barn and packing shed overnight on Thursday, December 11, wiping out its packhouse, refrigeration, machinery, scales, and other essential equipment. No one was hurt. For now, the priority is restoring power to protect winter storage crops; the team says it's not yet clear what the next few days or weeks will look like for markets and orders.

Farmers markets in particular are a way of understanding the people who live in any given place. Not only the produce or products that are sold, but how fresh are they, and where are those products from? Are the majority locally sourced or imported? What are the vendors like that are selling them? Who is shopping there?

Across the county, shops and markets brim with goods drawn straight from the sea and soil, crafted by the people who live closest to both. These small producers - farmers, fishers, beekeepers and artisans - are turning the region's harvests into gifts that carry the essence of the coast: jams made from rescued fruit, sea glass shaped by the surf, lavender grown in sun-drenched valleys. Whether you're wandering a farmers market in Pacific Grove or stopping by a family-run shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, you'll find plenty of ways to take home a taste or a whiff of Monterey.

The pomegranates, squash and apples were in season, pink guavas were so ripe you could smell their heady scent from a distance, and nutrient-packed yams were ready for the holidays. But with federal funding in limbo for the 1.5 million people in Los Angeles County who depend on food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - or SNAP - the church parking lot hosting the market was largely devoid of customers.

Hundreds were shopping at the Marin Civic Center's Sunday farmer's market. This week, the need for food has never been greater, as SNAP benefits run out for thousands. "We're here to help, we have enough so we should share what we can," said Alex Tishman. Tishman, owner of Fire Swamp Provisions, is offering his fresh baked goods to any family in need.

The secret to juicy corn is boiling fresh cobs for a good half hour. If you cook them for less time the corn wrinkles and has a drier texture. In a simple pasta and sweetcorn salad, like the one below, that extra liquid provides an essential contrast to the pine nuts and risoni. It's one of many Mediterranean salads we like to make at home that are meals in their own right.

Granada Hills Grubfest and the Granada Hills Farmers Market: The Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce presents the food truck "grubfest," 5-10 p.m, (on Chatsworth Street between Zelzah and White Oak avenues); and the farmers market, 6-10 p.m. (on White Oak Avenue between Chatsworth and Los Alimos streets) on Sept. 5; and continuing every Friday. 818-368-3235. www.granadachamber.com/. www.granadachamber.com/food-trucks/. Farmers market information: www.granadachamber.com/56292-2/

Farmers markets support local farms and provide vital access to fresh, healthy food for our communities. By shopping at your local farmers market, you help stimulate local economies, preserve farmland and rural livelihoods, increase access to fresh food, and support healthy communities.

The farmers market is a visual education for urbanites into what the seasons look like and the food each season yields.