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Thursday, July 15, 2010
Ten reasons to shop at a local farmer's market
Summer is in full swing, and local farmer's markets are exploding with great products. We see more crowds at this time of year. But there is great value in shopping at a farmers market any time of year it is open. In fact, here are ten good reasons to shop at a farmer's market.
Taste Real Flavors: The fruits and vegetables you buy at a local farmers market are the freshest and tastiest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen in the field and brought directly to you. No long-distance shipping, no gassing to simulate the ripening process, no sitting for weeks in storage. This food is as real as it gets.
Enjoy the Season: The food you buy at the farmers market is seasonal. It is fresh and delicious and reflects the truest flavors. Shopping and cooking from the farmers market helps you to reconnect with the cycles of nature in our region. As you look forward to freestone peaches or dry farmed tomatoes this summer, and then discover they are arriving a few weeks later than last year because of the excessive early season rains, you reconnect with the earth, the weather, and the turning of the year.
Support Family Farmers: Family farmers are becoming increasingly rare as large agribusiness farms and ranches steadily take over food production in the U.S. Small family farms have a hard time competing in the food marketplace. Buying directly from farmers gives them a better return for their produce and gives them a fighting chance in today's more globalized economy.
Protect the Environment: Food in the U.S. travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your plate. All this shipping uses large amounts of natural resources (especially fossil fuels), contributes greatly to pollution and creates excess trash with extra packaging. Conventional agriculture also uses many more resources than sustainable agriculture and pollutes water, land and air with toxic agricultural by-products. Food at the farmers market is transported shorter distances and grown using methods that minimize the impact on the earth.
Nourish Yourself: Much food found in grocery stores is highly processed. The fresh produce you do find is often grown using pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic modification. In many cases it has been irradiated, waxed, or gassed in transit. All of these practices have potentially damaging effects on the health of those who eat these foods. In contrast, most food found at the farmers market is minimally processed, and many farmers go to great lengths to grow the most nutritious produce possible by building their soil's fertility and giving their crops the nutrients they need to flourish in the ground and nourish those who eat them. At a farmers market, you can learn exactly how your food was produced and then make purchase choices based on values that are important to you.
Discover the Spice of Life- Variety: At a farmers market you find an amazing array of produce that you don't see in your supermarket: red carrots, a rainbow of heirloom tomatoes, white peaches, stinging nettles, green garlic, watermelon radishes, quail eggs, maitake mushrooms, gigande beans, whole pheasants, and much, much more. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience first hand the diversity (and biodiversity) of our planet, both cultivated and wild!
Promote Humane Treatment of Animals: At a farmers market you can find meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals that have been raised without hormones or antibiotics, who have grazed on green grass and been fed natural diets, and who have been spared the cramped and unnatural living conditions of so many of their brethren on feedlots.
Know Where Your Food Comes From: A regular trip to a farmer's market is one of the best ways to reconnect with where your food comes from. Farmers themselves sell their produce at the farm stands. Meeting and talking to farmers is a great opportunity to learn more about how food is grown, where it is grown, when it is grown, and why!
Learn Cooking Tips, Recipes, and Meal Ideas: Few grocery store cashiers or produce stockers will give you tips on how to cook the ingredients you buy, but farmers, ranchers, and vendors at the farmers market are often passionate cooks with plenty of free advice about how to cook the foods they are selling. They'll give you ideas for what to have for supper, hand out recipes, and troubleshoot your culinary conundrums. At our Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, like many other markets, you can also attend cooking demonstrations or classes for more directed experiences.
Connect with Your Community: Wouldn't you rather stroll amidst outdoor stalls of fresh produce on a sunny day than roll your cart around a grocery store with artificial lights and piped in music? Coming to the farmers market makes shopping a pleasure rather than a chore. The market is a community gathering place, a place to meet up with your friends, bring your children, or just get a taste of small-town life in the midst of our wonderful big city.
Here is some of what you might see at your next visit to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
Another example of the diversity in a farmer's market: more shapes of summer squash from Lucero Farms than you have ever seen!
| Jul 15 at 02:20 PM
Thursday, June 24, 2010
2010: the year of biodiversity
2010 is the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. For most people, celebrating biodiversity brings up romantic images of forests, deserts, grasslands or oceans full of exotic plants and wild animals. They forget that vast tracts of land are also dedicated to agriculture, and that there is great biodiversity among food crops and animals. Or at least, there used to be.
According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization website, there are nearly a quarter million plant varieties available for agriculture, but less than 3 percent of these are actually in use today.
Modern agriculture is concentrated on a small number of plant varieties designed for intensive farming. This has greatly reduced the diversity of plants available for research and development. The world's food supply depends primarily on about 150 plant species. Of those, just 12 provide three-quarters of the world's food.
More than 50 percent of the world's plant food energy comes from a limited number of varieties of 3 mega-crops: rice, wheat, and corn. Sorghum, millet, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybean and sugar provide another 25 percent. The remaining 25 percent exists mostly among the 141 other primary plant crops.
Within those 150 main plant crops exists many varieties (natural variations) or cultivars (cultivated varieties) which have been selected out over the centuries. You know many of them, even if you think you don't: Early Girl, Golden Delicious, Haas, Yukon Gold. They have been selected because of any number of possible improvements they possess as perceived by their consumers: disease resistance, better flavor, longer harvest season, greater drought tolerance, bigger size, etc.
Before the industrialization of agriculture during the mid-1900's, there was greater regional diversity of plant crop varieties and cultivars. But the industrial model relies on large scale planting with large scale harvesting that demands more uniformity of crops, a uniformity that can only be achieved by growing fewer varieties. Fewer varieties mean a diminished gene pool. So when a new disease strikes, the natural resistance that might have been present in one of those abandoned varieties will no longer express itself and save the day.
Try this. Go to a supermarket. How many varieties of stone fruits will you find there over this coming summer? Maybe 8-10 in some stores, perhaps as many as 20 in a specialty store that offers heirlooms. Then come to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, where over the course of the season you will find over 60 varieties of stone fruits.
That diversity is possible because our market, like most farmers markets, features smaller farmers interested in selling directly to consumers. They do not necessarily have to sell in large quantities at low margins to stay in business. They do not have to contract to grow 200 acres of one peach variety for a processor that must be harvested all within the same week. They can grow 2 acres each of 20 different unusual varieties that ripen over several months and sell them directly to you and me. In this model, they do what large scale growers don't. They help preserve the biodiversity of our food crops.
So if you want to cultivate biodiversity, think beyond saving forest trees and desert creepy-crawlies. Think about your food choices. Savor the widest range of flavors, textures, and aromas you can. And support those who continue to provide those options to you.
Peaches are a classic summer fruit. Early season varieties are cling types, with the freestone types arriving a bit later; both are best eaten when picked fully ripe and eaten within a day.
| Jun 24 at 08:00 AM
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Homemade pickles, funny-colored eggs, and perfect carrots
I remember as a child going with my family to my local county fair (Marion County, Indiana) in early summer and then again to the State Fair shortly before school started up in the fall. We'd marvel at the giant displays of produce, drool over the home baked cakes and pies, and laugh at the antics of the pigs and chickens. We grew almost all our own produce at home back then, and my mom canned enough pickles and vegetables and fruits to last all winter. Yet we never entered any of the contests at the fairs. I'm not sure why, and I sort of regret it now. But it's never too late.
We're bringing back the traditions of the county fair to San Francisco! My organization, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, CUESA, is proud to be a part of the 2010 San Francisco Giants County Fair this summer. Last summer, the first time the Giants produced this event, they attracted nearly 35,000 attendees over ten days. It is not an officially state-sanctioned fair, but rather it is a community event. However, there are several city/county organizations, along with some local government officials, who are interested in actually creating a fully sanctioned county fair within the next few years. Consider this a trial year.
So what exactly are we going to do at the fair? We're starting small, but CUESA will coordinate food and agriculture contests, cooking and food production demonstrations, and food and agriculture exhibits and displays. We're calling this special Father's Day event URBAN EATS, and we would like to invite you to participate! Since I'm helping organize it, I'm not eligible to enter. But if you bake a great fruit pie, gather eggs from hens in your back yard, or grow yummy carrots (and live or study in San Francisco)- here's your chance to earn a blue ribbon at the county fair.
You will find the full rules, category descriptions & entry forms for the contests, and the rules and applications for educational display exhibitors, on our site HERE.
But for now, here a quick summary:
Food & Gardening Contests, June 20
Open to adult and youth living in or attending school in San Francisco; amateurs only. Entry deadline is June 9. Contest categories: Seasonal fruit pies, Preserved foods, Picnic basket (a basket of local, seasonal homemade and or homegrown foods), Home produce gardening (for individuals), Garden basket (a basket of produce from a group gardening project; for groups like school gardens or community gardens only), Home-extracted honey, Home-raised hen eggs.
Educational Displays, June 19-20
Open to any organization, school, agency, or program that works on sustainable food and agriculture issues. Application deadline is June 9.
Here are some items coming into season at your local farmer's market:
Blueberries are back. It's a short season, so get 'em while you can. These are from Triple Delight.
Carrots of all colors are still available. Even red ones, like these from Heirloom Organics.
Late spring is also cherry season. Guess we'll have to hold a cherry spitting contest at our URBAN EATS celebration then.
| May 26 at 10:00 AM
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Food safety regulations
Recent and recurring concerns over food contamination by various strains of E. coli bacteria have resulted in a move by Congress to rewrite food safety laws. Currently, the Department of Agriculture regulates meat, poultry and eggs, while the Food & Drug Administration regulates all other foods. The new law would give more authority to the FDA to regulate how food is grown, stored, shipped and inspected.
Some small farmers, as was recently reported, fear that the extra costs required to meet new regulations may put them out of business. They note, for instance, that the safety protocols put in place by industrial-scale spinach growers after the last contamination crisis could be cost prohibitive for the small scale farmer to enact. Yet, the feds are considering applying those protocols nationwide.
I can appreciate the desire to do a better job of ensuring a safe food supply. But I can also sympathize with small producers striving to remain competitive in the marketplace. A one-size-fits-all bill might not be the answer, but I don't know what might work better for both consumers and producers. Suggestions anyone?
I would note that during the last E. coli on the spinach debacle, I continued to eat raw spinach. Why? Because I knew the farmers who were growing it for me. I was able to ask them how and where they planted it (are there any animal operations next door?), and how they harvested, cleaned, packed and transported it.
Not to say that accidents still can't happen. But knowing the source of my spinach, had I encountered any problems, authorities could have traced the source of the contamination quickly to minimize any further problems. The industrial model from which the last scare arose, with spinach being harvested and mixed together from dozens of large farms before going to market, made it extremely difficult and slow to trace the source of the contamination. A difference to consider when creating the new regulations.
And now, here are some (uncontaminated) crops returning to the farmers markets for the first time this year.
Raspberries are back. Delicious but very delicate; I bring a hard plastic container to put them in so they arrive home unbruised.
Fava beans. Great for building the soil. A bit of an effort, since they must be shelled twice, but super tasty.
Rhubarb was a family favorite growing up. An attractive big-leafed plant in the home landscape as well.
| Apr 29 at 10:07 AM
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Flower power
Over the past few weeks, more and more flowers have been available in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Yes, I'm savoring the strawberries that have just started coming in, and I'm still enjoying the asparagus while I can, but it has been the masses of flowers that have inspired me most. I guess I'm just so used to eating really flavorful, nutritious, locally and sustainably produced food, that it took something else to fully ignite my spring fever.
This spring fever also gives me a chance to comment on the sustainable production of those flowers that have lifted my spirits. Many of us are now thinking more carefully about how our food choices impact not only our own health, but the health of our planet. Let's apply the same concerns to all agriculture, and not just our food. We should also be supporting more sustainable production of ornamental crops like flowers, trees and shrubs.
One of the fastest growing niche markets right now is organic flowers. Some people find that notion odd. Organic flowers? I'm not going to eat them, so why does it matter if they used chemicals or not? It matters because those synthetic agrichemicals still end up in the soil, the Bay, and the lungs of the workers in the field. Organic agriculture is about building healthy soils, sustaining micro-flora and micro-fauna, eliminating water and air pollution and much more. It's about how crops are raised. Even the crops we don't necessarily eat.
Here are some of those non-edible and sustainably grown flowers that are attracting my attention currently:
Ranunculus from Thomas Farm. Yes, they're certified organic. They're also quite colorful.
Freesia, another spring favorite of mine, also from Thomas Farm.
Cypress Flower Farm brings over 70 varieties of flowers to market during the year.
My very favorite spring fragrance: lilacs! These are from The Peach Farm.
Another popular and fragrant spring flower is hyacinth. These are from White Crane Springs Ranch.
| Apr 08 at 11:26 AM
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Food fight
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic makeup has been altered so that they exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs through a process called genetic engineering (GE). In general, genes are copied from one organism with a desired trait and transferred into the genetic code of another organism. Currently, more than 100 million acres of transgenic corn and soybeans are planted in the United States and GMOs are found in more than 70% of processed food products. Since the commercialization of transgenic food crops in 1996, concerns about GE have run the gamut from potential human health risks, to environmental impacts, to food sovereignty issues. For those of interested in fostering a more sustainable food system, these are all important concerns.
In response, some local jurisdictions started introducing laws against GMOs. So, a few years ago the California legislature debated a bill that proposed to preempt those emerging county and city laws against GMOs. The bill would have amended California law so that all regulations related to seeds and nursery plants could be made only at the state level, preventing passage of further anti-GMO legislation by local jurisdictions. To the relief of those of us opposed to GMOs, that bill did not pass.
Then, in 2008, the state assembly passed the Food and Farm Protection Act, which established laws to shield farmers and consumers from some of the potential harms of GMOs in California agriculture. The bill requires growers to notify their county of GMO plantings, prohibits the open-field cultivation of transgenic food crops used to produce hormones and antibiotics, and establishes the right of farmers to compensation for economic losses due to contamination.
Yet despite what some of us see as progress, the debate continues, and the opposition is strong and well-funded. Opponents to GMOs (like me) point out that genetic engineering (GE) may pose numerous threats to our health, environment, and farmers. Summarizing examples from the Californians for GE-Free Agriculture website, these could include:
Food Allergies. GE increases the likelihood that new food allergens could be introduced into our food supply. Because humans have never consumed many of the novel proteins present in GE foods, we have no way to predict if they could cause an allergic reaction.
Novel Toxins in our Food Supply. There is mounting evidence that some GE foods may produce unexpected toxic effects, such as a 1999 British study which showed that GE potatoes caused damage to the immune systems and vital organs of rats. I prefer to not be put at risk, however slight that risk might be.
Resistance to Antibiotics. Genetic engineers commonly use antibiotic resistance marker genes in the process of gene splicing, and some doctors argue this could weaken the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating diseases.
Increased Pesticide Use. Although biotech companies claim that the use of GE crops results in the reduction of pesticide use, the data do not consistently show this to be true. USDA reports state that while reductions in some herbicides occur, there has also been a concurrent increase in the use of glyphosate (Roundup). A study from a former head of the National Academy of Sciences found that farmers who plant Monsanto's GE soybeans use two to five times more pesticides than their conventional counterparts. And of course, they just happen to be using Monsanto's Roundup. Hmm, what profit motive? What monopoly?
Loss of Biodiversity. Despite Mexico's recent ban on planting GE corn, it has been discovered that some native varieties (corn is native to Mexico) have been contaminated with GE corn from the US. Genetic contamination is impossible to recall, and can cross-pollinate with domestic and even wild plant relatives.
Harm to Insects and Other Wildlife. Several studies have demonstrated that GE crops are harming beneficial insects, earthworms and birds, including the 1999 Cornell study which revealed that GE corn was toxic to Monarch butterflies.
Loss of Markets. Because so many countries are refusing to accept GE crops, US farmers are losing export markets. Although our work at CUESA is focused on providing small farmers direct marketing opportunities to local consumers, I would not deny the opportunity to also export crops for those farmers who have chosen that business model.
Genetic Contamination. There are numerous examples now showing that pollution of non-GE crops by neighboring GE crops cannot be controlled. Unwanted genetic contamination can lead to the loss of markets that are GE-free (like the organic sector), and can lead to extra costs due to the need for testing and segregation. Our policy for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market includes a ban on the "intentional use of GMOs", a statement we are forced to use since it may not be possible for farmers to avoid contamination, despite their earnest efforts.
Liability. Farmers are at risk of lawsuits from biotech companies for patent infringement if they knowingly or unknowingly violate any of the terms of the contracts accompanying GE seed purchases. Anyone who saw the movie Food, Inc. last year heard some of this saga. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing a case about the risks of genetically engineered crops. Named Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, this case is surrounding a modified alfalfa seed that has been engineered to be immune to Roundup. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a 2006 lawsuit on behalf of a coalition of nonprofits and farmers who wished to retain the choice to plant non-GE alfalfa. The CFS was victorious in this case, and has also won two subsequent appeals by Monsanto. Now, upon Monsanto's insistence, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case starting in March this year.
Despite positive developments, anti-GMO activists are not resting. New GE crops are still being approved, while news about negative impacts of GE crops will undoubtedly continue to surface. The debate continues.
So, here are some non-GMO transition season items at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
Cherimoyas from Brokaw Nursery; this subtropical fruit native to the Andes is also known as the custard apple and its bright white flesh has a banana-pineapple-papaya mix of flavors.
Tulips already grace the market; another sign that spring is on the way is flowering quince.
But the best sign that spring has sprung? Asparagus from Zuckerman's Farm of course!
| Feb 28 at 10:00 AM
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Farmers share the love
February. Valentine's Day. We celebrate love. Let's also celebrate our love of seasonal, local, sustainably produced food. Not a stretch really, since sustainable food systems support the loving cultivation of land, of food, and of relationships. In this season of love, let's explore some of the nurturing interactions that bring food from the fields to our tables.
Farmers and Land
Farmers' relationships with the land they steward are the foundation of ecological food production. And it's all about give and take. The cultivation of crops requires nutrients and water, which farmers must either directly restore to the soil (using mulches, compost and cover crops) or allow the time to return naturally. Growers must maintain a balance in what they give to and take from the earth for their farms to thrive. Farmers' understanding of the effects their practices have on the surrounding watershed, wildlife, and community and their intimate knowledge of climate and soils influences how and what they cultivate.
Farms and Workers
Worker health and the relationship between farm owners and laborers are important components of the social sustainability of farms. Farm workers are often paid very low wages for long hours spent working in difficult conditions, and they are most affected by the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins. On a sustainable farm, workers experience an environment where their health, knowledge, and culture are respected and valued.
Plants and Animals
Relationships between plants and animals on farms are crucial to their wellbeing. Without the use of toxic chemicals as pesticides, the reliance upon fauna is strong. Beneficial insects and larger predators help keep pests in check. Birds and bees do the crucial work of pollinating flowers to ensure full harvests. Soil organisms fix nitrogen, increase nutrients, and improve soil tilth. Farmers depend upon these relationships and can encourage them by providing habitat for desired predators and pollinators.
Farmers and Communities
The interactions that happen between farmers and communities through direct marketing are unique in the modern world. Farmers markets and community supported agriculture programs create a direct link between growers and eaters. Farmers who come to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, for example, put a face on the food that they grow, earn a fair return for their produce, and receive feedback from consumers. Customers who come to the market feel secure knowing how where, and by whom their food is grown, and get fresher, more nutritious and flavorful food than is available anywhere else. The farmers market also engenders community; farmers can connect with other farmers, and food-lovers connect with other food-lovers.
People and Food
The relationship between people and food is, of course, fundamental. But besides sustaining us, food has cultural, communal, and emotional value. Food gives us a reason to congregate and celebrate, and a way to express love. Savor good food. Hug your farmer.
To experience the connections between food and love, visit the Ferry Building for the annual Food from the Heart celebration on February 12-13!
Here's some winter crops to lovingly share with family and friends:
A colorful and nutritious winter braising mix from Marin Roots Farm includes chards, kales and more.
More late winter color with baby beets from Star Route Farms. Great in cold salads or as a hot, roasted side dish.
Tulips from Cypress Flower Farm- a sure sign that spring will arrive soon. Hopefully.
| Feb 06 at 11:50 AM
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Winter crops that can tough it out
Only the hardiest fruits and vegetables can survive some of the near-freezing temperatures that sometimes hit inland California farms this time of year. Unlike Florida, whose citrus and vegetable farmers are facing potentially devastating losses from current harsh winter storms, we have been spared such catastrophe thus far.
Should the cold hit us next, our tender crops could also be impacted. But we would not lack for locally grown winter veggies. One of nature's most cold-tolerant plant families also encompasses more vegetables than any other.
The enormous cabbage family (Brassicacea, for you botany enthusiasts) includes turnips, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, rapini, romanesco, mustard seed, mustard greens, collards, kale, bok choy, canola, rutabaga, radish, watercress, and arugula, among others. Although some of these are widely popular, many continue to remain somewhat obscure to most Americans. Really, when was the last time you served mashed rutabagas? (Which are quite tasty, BTW)
Brassicas are also called cruciferous vegetables (from the Latin crux, which means cross) because they bear flowers with four petals in the shape of a cross. The common ancestor of these plants probably originated in Northern Europe where headless cabbages were first cultivated thousands of years ago.
Subsequently, the crop spread around Europe and Asia where it malleably transformed into the many cruciferous crops we know today. Vegetables like broccoli, romanesco, and cauliflower were selected for large flowering heads; mustard greens, cabbage, collards, and bok choy for big greens; turnips, radishes, and kohlrabi for bulbous stems and roots.
Just a few species comprise most of the brassicas we regularly eat. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard greens, and kohlrabi, different as they look, are all cultivar groups of the species Brassica oleracea. Turnip, rapini, bok choy and tatsoi all belong to the species Brassica rapa.
As farmers will attest, humans aren't the only brassica-loving species. For growers, the vegetables are both a blessing (what else will survive winter frosts?) and a challenge. One of the most virulent brassica pests is the aphid, which quickly reproduces and sucks the fluids out of the crop, stunting growth and sometimes killing plants.
Even if the insects don't do extensive physical damage, they may still render the harvest unmarketable: aphids (as many of us have experienced) nestle within the leaves of a head of cabbage or amid the broccoli florets and are difficult to remove. To deal with aphids, farmers, like many gardeners, use soap sprays and release beneficial predators like ladybugs.
Besides having a reputation for being a healthful, cancer-fighting class of vegetables, brassicas are known for the eggy aroma they exude when cooked. These two famous features are actually related: the sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates that give the brassicas their pungent smell also give them some of their nutritive qualities. Brassicas contain lots of vitamin A and C, too.
Here are some brassicas currently available at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
Broccoli rabe, also called rapini; I like it sauteed in oil then served with a squeeze of lemon.
The aforementioned rutabagas from Heirloom Organic Gardens. Really, use them in place of potatoes in your favorite mash recipe- they're delicious!
Broccoli romanesco, also called just romanesco- even though it looks and tastes and is used more like cauliflower!
Collards (foreground) and kale; you don't have to be Southern to enjoy a "mess a collard greens", although I am and I do.
For something a bit more visually interesting, try a watermelon radish. Bigger than most varieties, with the slightly peppery taste I love.
| Jan 07 at 12:05 PM
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
What determines food quality?
My last post focused on a cost survey between farmer's market foods versus those at chain and specialty food stores. Farmer's market foods price out favorably by comparison, especially for organic products. Yet I also suggested that price is still only one measure to consider, even in a recession. My shopping decisions are based not only on price, but also on environmental, regional economics and social concerns, and finally, on value. One big part of value, for me, is quality. As my parents told me, you get what you pay for.
What accounts for the differences in quality between the foods that you buy directly from a farmer and what you might find at a supermarket? Why does fresh produce at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market taste so good? The answer is as complex as the food system itself.
Here are some of the major factors that affect food quality:
Freshness
Most produce going to a farmer's market, a farm stand, or into a CSA (community supported agriculture) box, is usually harvested within 1-2 days beforehand. Exceptions might be grains, potatoes, winter squash or a few other "keeper" crops that store well over long periods of time. But after supermarket-bound produce is picked, it typically enters a distribution network for days or even weeks before it reaches the shelves. Exceptions in this case might be the few stores that do try to buy in some local produce (although even those items might be forced through one extra step in their travel chain).
Even though California is among the largest agricultural producers in the world, much of what most Californians eat now travels from abroad, adding further to its distribution time. Flavor and texture are compromised by over-refrigeration and water-loss and result in bland and often visually unappealing produce. Some foods also lose nutritional value quickly once harvested.
Variety
Many of the varieties of produce and breeds of livestock and poultry you find being featured in local restaurants, or at the farmers market, farm stand or in your CSA box, cannot be found in a typical supermarket. Commercial varieties are often chosen for their productivity, even-ripening, size uniformity, storability, and ability to withstand handling during packing and transport. They are selected for their ability to hold up in an industrial food system. Flavor is, at best, last on the list of criteria.
Farmers growing for direct marketing sales choose varieties for flavor. Of course they have to consider other crop characteristics, but flavor wins at the market or restaurant because it is what discerning shoppers or diners respond to and demand. This is the reason that many heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables and heritage breeds of livestock remain in production and have become more popular in recent years. They have better taste and texture and are often extraordinarily beautiful. But they are grown in smaller amounts, and don't always travel or store well, and so are less likely to show up in a typical megamart.
Ripeness
Fruit direct from the farmer is usually field ripened. Shorter traveling time from the field to the plate enables farmers who are growing for market to pick at the last possible moment. Leaving produce on the tree or vine longer maximizes its flavor and its nutritional value. The trade off is that some crops, particularly stone fruits, do not last long once harvested fully ripe, so consumers must be prepared to eat them within one or two days. Out-of-season fruits found at the supermarket are picked unripe to preserve their firmness for transport across hemispheres. The ripening process is then sometimes commenced artificially with ethylene gas and results in ripe-looking product with unripe taste and texture.
Inputs
We are what we eat, and so are fruits, vegetables, livestock, eggs, and poultry. Healthy and flavorful food cannot be produced without high quality inputs. At most farmer's markets you can find grass-fed beef and lamb, free-range eggs and chickens, and fruits and vegetables that have been fed the most nutritious and diverse diet possible. The taste of these products is distinctly different from their industrial counterparts that have been fed antibiotics and hormones, limited and repetitive diets, and feed grown with petroleum-based fertilizers laden with harmful levels of metals such as arsenic and mercury.
Growing Technique
Watering, thinning, pruning, and fertilizing techniques can affect an end-product dramatically. The growing philosophies represented at most markets are as diverse as the farmers themselves. In a highly mechanized industrial production system the nuances of growing are lost, and often, so are the nuances in taste. Small farmers are constantly experimenting and improving their techniques based not on the industrial norm, but on their own observations and tastes.
So how do you pick the best of the best? Ask a farmer or a cook! You can learn innumerable and invaluable produce-picking tips by simply asking.
Here are some fresh winter crops worth trying out:
Persimmons have been in markets for some time, but our recent cold snap actually sweetens them up even more.
Cauliflower from Catalan Family Farm. Enjoy it in a gratin, alone or mixed with broccoli.
Page mandarins are just coming into market, joining the early oranges and lemons. Soon there will be citrus of all kinds to savor!
| Dec 15 at 04:00 PM
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Does farmer's market produce cost more?
As the operators of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, we receive a wide range of feedback about that thrice-weekly event. We are praised for the diversity and quality of produce and other market items. We are complimented on the quality of our farm tours, cooking demonstrations and other education programs. People love our weekly eletter and informative website. But we are often criticized for the farmer's produce prices (the top complaint, after parking).
For the past several years we have been conducting same day price comparisons between produce at our market, at the Safeway store on nearby King Street, and at the Whole Foods store on 4th Street. Volunteer shoppers go out with our shopping list and record the lowest available per pound prices (lowest farmer's market price, store's sale price or "club member" price).
Our most recent survey was completed this past July. We compared prices on 24 conventionally grown produce items and 28 organic items. The results were very similar to our previous surveys. If you would like to see the full survey results, ask for a copy at our market Info Booth.
Safeway was cheapest on average for the conventionally grown produce, averaging $2.10/lb for the items surveyed. Our farmer's market averaged $2.85/lb and Whole Foods averaged $3.01/lb.
For organic produce, it's a completely different order: our market averaged $3.24/lb, Whole Foods averaged $3.84/lb and Safeway came in at $4.45/lb.
Across all products surveyed (organic & conventional combined) we again fared best: $3.05/lb vs. $3.22/lb at Safeway and $3.54/lb at Whole Foods.
So, we're cheaper for organic produce, in the middle for conventional items, and cheaper for all the surveyed products combined. But those numbers still don't tell the whole story or even an accurate story.
I will be the first to admit this was not a scientific survey. It was only a partial survey of all the produce available, plus not every site had all the items on the list. There were often great variations depending on the products compared (which you can see on the full survey) but here I am only quoting averages across categories. But I will also tell you that a price survey by a nonprofit operating several Seattle farmer's markets has come up with very similar results the past two years.
For us, it was interesting to see how widely prices varied across some of the conventionally grown products. Our market's yellow peaches were $3/lb and only $0.99/lb at Safeway. But a farmer's market peach was fully ripe and sweet, while a Safeway peach was rock hard and not sweet and would never become sweet even though it would at least soften up over time.
So the consumer has a choice. Buy a cheaper peach that tastes bad but can sit on the table at home for a week, or buy a sweet luscious peach that only lasts one or two days and costs more. Price, especially in a recession, is certainly an important factor, but so is quality and perceived value. I personally perceive far higher value in the $3 peach I can savor versus the $1 peach I have to force myself to eat.
We also wondered why the conventionally grown produce prices we recorded were lower, on average, at Safeway. Perhaps this is because as a national chain, they can buy onions, carrots and other high demand items in huge quantities from large corporate growers, thus getting them at a lower cost. They almost never buy from small family farms. Even so, some conventional items were still cheaper at our market, such as cucumbers ($0.92/lb at Safeway vs. $0.50/lb at our market); plums ($2.49 vs. $2), and surprisingly, potatoes ($1.29 vs. $1).
Why were the organic produce prices we recorded higher, on average, at Safeway? One possibility, perhaps, is the lower demand for organic produce from their customers, which means they no longer have the benefit of scale. As demand increases, one presumes their prices will come down. But for now, the greatest demand for organic products is at farmer's markets or specialty stores like Whole Foods, and not at chain stores like Safeway.
As mentioned in the peach example above, our survey measured only price, not value. It did not take into account quality or flavor. It did not take into account freshness or nutritional value. (Research has shown that for some crops, like green beans, the nutritional value drops off very rapidly after harvesting; just how long has that bean or carrot been on the truck and in the supermarket before you take it home?)
It did not account for the environmental benefits of fewer food miles, the security of knowing where the food came from, or the pleasure of meeting the person who grew it. It does also not take into account that in buying directly from a California farmer, that farmer is earning a greater share of your food dollar than if you were buying it through national resellers; your money stays closer to home.
Yet despite these other reasons for buying at your local farmer's market, our surveys have demonstrated that there is even a cost-savings reason for doing so, particularly if you are buying organic produce.
So, a change of season is finally in the air. It's also observable in the market:
Ever had a pineapple guava? This sign from Thomas Family Farm says it all. They also make attractive home landscape shrubs.
Cool weather is ideal for growing crisp radishes, like these from Dirty Girl Produce.
Cool weather is also great for salad greens, like these pleasingly bitter and colorful chicories from County Line Harvest.
| Dec 03 at 04:00 PM
Editor's note:
This is an SFGate.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by SFGate or the San Francisco Chronicle. The authors are solely responsible for the content.
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