Local markets compared

This is not a Transition Town post, just a personal view on an often-debated matter, usually discussed with no facts, so I just want to set the record straight.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/safeway-gets-a-makeover/Content?oid=1080497

The Express companion-shopped at several Bay area popular markets, and found that the Berkeley Bowl is the winner in both price and quality, and that several other popular markets are as high-priced as a chain store.

Buying Online: Fish and Seafood

I'm getting ready to try these out. I like the idea of having fresh seafood delivered to my door by the postal service - no need to drive to a market (I am car-less at the moment).

I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried them out.

http://www.seafoodbynet.com/

http://www.vitalchoice.com/

Sadly, almost none of the fish and other seafood for sale in Bay area markets is caught locally anymore, so what you can buy is shipped in from just as far away as these.

Ah, here is a page of online seafood links:

http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/wheretobuygourmetfoods/tp/wherebuyfish.htm

I wish they had some first-hand reviews, and it would be nice to know exactly where the fish is coming from.

Enjoy it now. The fish catch is declining all around the world. Much of what is in the markets is farmed.

Bay Area Farmer's Markets - a list of links

I'm not going to post a list of Farmer's Markets. It would soon be out-of-date. 

We have at least fifty now, and we keep getting new ones - there are now several markets every day of the week!

But here is a list of links to sites that keep an updated listing of markets:

http://www.sfgate.com/food/farmersmarkets/

http://commongroundmag.com/2005/11/farmfresh0511.html

This site has a searchable map:

http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?map=1&lat=37.791270&lon=-122.243159&scale=9&ty=1&nm=&zip=94606

And here is a print-out card (pdf)

http://www.edibleeastbay.com/content/pages/articles/fallWinter08/farmersMkts.pdf

Sites for some individual markets:

Berkeley:

http://www.ecologycenter.org/bfm/

Grand Lake (Oakland):

http://www.splashpad.org/farmersmkt.html

Temescal (North Oakland):

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/313559

San Francisco Ferry Plaza:

http://cuesa.org/markets/farmers/

Contra Costa County:

http://www.cccfm.org/

Walnut Creek:

http://www.cafarmersmkts.com/

Marin County:

http://www.marinfarmersmarkets.org/

Have fun shopping!

A Wealth of CSAs - Community Supported Agriculture

The San Francisco Bay Area is extremely rich in CSAs!

Here's a list from my initial research, arranged by delivery area.

This will be updated as I learn more, so please check that this data  is up-to-date.

SAN FRANCISCO BUT NOT EAST BAY:

Terra Firma Farms - Winters - 530-756-2800; www.terrafirmafarm.com
Distributes to San Francisco, Davis/Sacramento, Fairfield

Year-round. Choose between small, medium, and large boxes with a 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 fruit mix most weeks.

Eating with the Seasons - San Francisco, Peninsula, South Bay

www.eatwiththeseasons.com/

Purisima Greens (Half Moon Bay) - (415) 824-4272 - ?no website?
650-726-5101; Purgreens@igc.org
Distributes to San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Montara

Good Humus Produce - Capay (Yolo) - San Francisco, Sacramento, Yolo

530-787-3187 - www.goodhumus.com

Two Small Farms = High Ground Organics + Mariquita (Watsonville and Hollister)

www.twosmallfarms.com
831-761-3226; www.mariquita.com - strawberries
Distributes to Palo Alto, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Mountain
View, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Santa Cruz/Monterey

(Silicon Valley, the Peninsula) and San Francisco

EAST BAY:

Eatwell Farms (Dixon) - BG BEST - weekly or bi-weekly
1-800-648-9894; www.eatwell.com
Distributes to San Francisco, El Cerrito, Vallejo, Alameda, Emeryville, Oakland, Berkeley, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Vacaville, Lafayette, San Leandro, and Castro Valley, Davis/Sacramento

Planet Organic - www.planetorganics.com - BG BEST Runner up

The Fruit Guys - BG BEST Runner up

www.fruitguys.com - 1-877-FRUIT-ME

Offfice deliveries nationwide - free in California

Winter Creek Gardens (Rumsey)
530-796-2243; www.wintercreekgardens.com - NOT

http://www.geocities.com/splashpad/wintercreek.html

About 50 acres on three separate parcels located on Cache Creek in a Capay Valley hamlet called Rumsey. Celso and his uncle, Sergio bought the farm three years ago. Celso had worked for the previous owner for several years and had apprenticed previously at Full Belly Farms.

All produce is certified organic and over the course of a year includes a mind-boggling array of vegetables. In the ground currently are over 20 different varieties including four different types of chard. At the Market in January, their offerings included beets, kale, bok choy, salad mixes, leeks oranges, butternut squash and broccoli rabe 

Sells at only two Farmers Markets, the Grand Lake on Saturday and Marin on Sunday. The balance of the week is spent on deliveries to restaurants including Chez Panisse. In addition, they drop off weekly food boxes for subscribers at different locations including one in Oakland and one on Grand Avenue just over the Piedmont line.
Distributes to San Francisco, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Oakland, Davis, Sacramento

Raves about their recipe archive: http://www.wintercreekgardens.com/recipe.html

Full Belly Farm - about an hour NW of Sacramento in the Capay Valley. (Guinda) 530-787-3187; www.fullbellyfarm.com
Distributes to Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, Palo Alto, Davis/Sacramento

+ San Rafael

Choose between weekly and bi-weekly pick-ups.

Farm Fresh To You - Capay (Yolo) but drop off here - BIG

800-796-6009; www.farmfreshtoyou.com
Distributes to San Francisco, East Bay, Marin, South Bay

Riverdog Farm - Guinda (Yolo)

530-796-3802; riverdog@yolo.com
Distributes to Berkeley, Oakland, Vallejo, El Sobtrante, Richmond, Napa, St. Helen, Yountville, Calistoga and Vacaville

Live Power Community Farm - Covelo (Mendocino) 

707-983-8196; livepower@igc.org
Distributes San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, Mendocino County

CONTRA COSTA:

Eat Outside the Box - Walnut Creek (from Frog Hollow, Knoll Farms)

925-952-9643
Distributes to Contra Costa County

Happy Farms - Clayton - www.happyfarms.org - 925-672-4464

pickup locations: Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Walnut Creek

we have had to suspend operations while we search for a new location.

NORTH BAY:

Tierra Vegetables - Santa Rosa

Shea's Organics - Santa Rosa (Sonoma county only)

Draper Farms - San Anselmo - www.onthefarm.com - pickup at farm

Canvas Ranch - Petaluma (Marin, Sonoma)
707-776-7171; www.canvasranch.com

Gospel Flat Farm - Bolinas (just for Bolinas)

Laguna Farm - Sebastopol - waiting list (Sonoma)

Three Ox Farm - Sebastopol

Orchard Farms - Sebastopol (Sonoma)

Sol Food Farm - Sebastopol (Sonoma)

Grandpa Jack's Farm - Napa

SOUTH:

Hidden Villa Farm - Los Altos

Blue House Farm - Pescadero

Green Oaks Creek Farm - Pescadero (local only?)

Live Earth Community Farm (Watsonville)
831-763-2448; www.liveearthfarm.com
Distributes to Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz/Monterey Area

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA:

Silveira Farms - Merced 

[Morris Grassfed Beef]

[Highland Hills - Vacaville (Yolo) - beef > Eatwell or direct]