North Park Farmers' Market Blog

Your local farmer’s market can be a hidden gem for the frugal shopper. You buy your food directly from the farms that grew it – no middleman driving prices higher - and each step brings you to the discovery of new bounty. We know there’s budget minded shoppers out there looking for the best deals and we’re here to help you make the most of future visits to the North Park and Adams Avenue Farmers’ Markets.

• Shop around, explore and buy at peak season: It’s always good to take a stroll through the market before buying; see who has what and for how much. When produce is at its peak the price will be lower due to abundance.
• Make friends with the vendors and be a frequent shopper: Ask questions about the farm, the food and the business. The better you know your vendors the more likely you are to find out about specials or get insider info on the tastiest items.
• Come with a list, but be flexible: Shopping with a list is always helpful in maintaining a budget, but be willing to change or swap items for better deals you may find. If you’re unsure how to use the new purchase, ask the vendor for preparation suggestions. Have an idea of what you want to spend and stick to it.
• Join a CSA: A lot of the community supported agriculture (CSA) programs out there have pick-up locations at farmer’s markets and are incredibly affordable to boot! When you get your box, take a peek inside and since you’re already at the market you can easily shop around for whatever else you might need for the week.
   

Buying all organic all the time isn't always an option for most consumers. But sometimes buying organic means making the healthier choice. Enter The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen.

No, they're not the latest incarnation of the 3 Musketeers but rather a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group distinguishing the worst pesticide offenders in produce from the cleanest. The handy lists were created to help consumers know when it's necessary to buy organic and when it's not. So here for you, are the 12 best reasons to shop at your favorite local farmer's market - whether it be North Park Farmer's Market or Adam's Avenue Farmer's Market - and what you should be buying organic:

celery
peaches
strawberries
apples
blueberries
nectarines
bell peppers
spinach, kale and collard greens
cherries
potatoes
grapes
lettuce

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MAKING THE HARD CALLS

As Farmers' Market managers, it's our job to monitor what's happening at our markets so you - as shoppers - can feel confident that you know what you're buying.

For us this week, that means we'll probably be taking a farm stand out of our Thursday North Park event that has been there since before we took over this particular market. The man who runs that stand is hard-working, reliable, and personable. This will probably affect his income, and he likely has a family to support. That's why decisions like these are not made lightly.

Unfortunately, validating suspicions that we had started to develop, the County Agriculture Department's most recent inspection of that vendor (I'm hesitant to say farmer right now) turned up several issues that can't be ignored.

The letter of the Direct Marketing law requires that farmers, their immediate families or bonafide employees sell only what is produced on their farm, so that the origin and growing conditions can be verified. Since Certified Farmers Markets in San Diego are often combined with a weekly event that includes non-farmers, non-certified produce sales can be included in a different area of the event, but we believe that generally violates the spirit of the law. If you buy fruits and vegetables at our markets, we want you to be buying them from the farmer. Click "Read more" below for the rest of the story...

CRUNCH INTO SOMETHING FRESH

If you're craving something crunchy, head over to the North Park Farmers' Market for some healthy satisfaction.  Baby carrots and summer squashes from Valdivia Farms, crunchy radishes and brocoli from Suzie's, crisp celery, bell peppers and green onions from JR Organics are all just right for dipping into creamy garlic paste from Majestic Garlic, original or chipotle Bitchin' Sauce, hummus from Baba Foods or Lisko Imports, or homemade guacamole from R&L's avocados.  If you're watching calories, skip the dips and sprinkle some of Salt Farm's new Thai green curry infused salt for a spicy kick.  Unlike fried chips and packaged snack foods, fresh crunchy vegetables are full of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.  Oh, yeah, most importantly, they're delicious!