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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?

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  • From: Rik Smith <riksmith AT uwyo.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?
  • Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:14:37 -0600

Rivka,

Davis is only about 400 miles from Toluca Lake.  Yes, CA is a very long state.

Rik



Rik Smith, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Agroecology

University of Wyoming

Department of Plant Sciences

1000 E University Ave

Laramie, WY  82071-3354


riksmith AT uwyo.edu

307/766-3238


On Sep 17, 2007, at 1:09 PM, road's end farm wrote:


On Sep 17, 2007, at 10:36 AM, Joe Seals wrote:

Toluca Lake is about 20 minutes from THE Farmer's Market in Los Angeles.  It is one of the largest permanent farmers' markets in the U.S.:

 


On Sep 17, 2007, at 11:33 AM, Petersons family wrote:

Our daughter, who grew up on our organic vegetable farm in Washington state has just moved to California - UC Davis.  She  was surprised that the produce in farmer's markets was not what she was used to, but more like what's found in supermarkets everywhere.  For example, the cucumber she eagerly bought turned out to be tough skinned and tasteless.  

Yes, I think that's part of what my customer's daughter was complaining about. I was hoping for info about specific growers who are growing for flavor/nutrition, not looks; or specific markets with a number of such growers; in her area (again, she's in Toluca Lake CA).

I think she has tried the big LA market, though I'm not sure. In a market of that size it might take some time to find the good growers. I tried searching their web site for market rules or bylaws, but can't find them posted; if they accept produce from all over, as many large (and some small) markets do, much of it may be selected and harvested with the prime criteria being shipping ability, just like the stuff in the grocery. (In some markets, the stuff in the market IS the stuff from the grocery: on a visit to South Florida I saw things in the "farmers' market" with grocery tags still on them: the vendors were selling the grocery leftovers, apparently. The stuff looked like it, too; though I'll grant that it was also priced like it. There didn't seem to be any local produce there at all. When I saw South Florida from the air in the daylight, on the flight back home, I understood why. Solid house lots. Nothing else till the Everglades. I hope this was a mistaken impression; but am afraid that it was not.)

With permission, I'll copy relevant portions of replies (including the info about the LA market, in case) and email to her mother; leaving out this group's and individual email addresses, of course. Anybody who doesn't want me to do this, please let me know. And is Davis anywhere near Toluca Lake? My CA geography is close to nonexistent; I do know it's a very long state (I drove about half the length of it in 1978 and drove back out of late spring nearly into winter on the way). 

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale_______________________________________________
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