We go every week and buy all our meat, fish, game and some of our cheese there.

I buy local -- honey, goat cheese, cut flowers, peaches, sweet corn, and any and all vegetables.

I only usually buy my local sweet corn and some early season tomatoes at FMs.

Ours doesn't open until early July. Best things are Roma tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and watermelons.

I just love your healthy caterpillar. I don't like the idea of indoor markets, but we're still wearing masks at outdoor ones and supposed to be social distancing...... I wish! The Indian variant is coming our way from England so we'll have to see how long we get more free markets.

Great markets in NY and NYC. I miss it to a point. Heavily regulated for good reasons. No tube sox, trinkets, or even scented candles. Only local within a certain mile radius...30? not sure. Unfortunately it is what i grow in my garden. The fourth season just before christmas it is local crafters so that can be fun. Minor foods to be had unusual to us but some drinks and ice slushies if they use their farm produce. One fella had an incredible rosemary/lemon sorbet for a couple years. I read an invester came across it and put him into production. Hope that was successful.

+i should add that a farm with bees can sell their honey and beeswax candles.

Ask for blush heirloom tomatoes. They are climacteric like avocadoes and bananas. At full blush and firm, tomatoes will continue to ripen all week on a counter out of direct sunlight. Refridgeration is a last resort. Fridge is ok but not ideal. When my avocadoes are just tender i fridge them to give me a few days. Same with a tomato.

Islay, we may have been posting at the same time?. This variant does interest me. And the avalibility of the vaccines. I've been deep into an intensive CornelleUniversity on-line course about public health and safety. (easy that you cannot fail. The testing is a pass/fail and you can re-take the test until a pass) . I've nailed the tests every time because i don't have a GPA over my head that used to freak me out...or did in my youth.

We have the varients in the US and could be horrible for the communites/States that are hesitant for the vaccine....then it mutates once again....

Those vaccinated, rest and relax your tense shoulders. Take long walks in fresh air. Keep a mask handy because it is not a biggie to put it on. Seems the world is comfortable with a mask now so not a big deal if one wants to wear one at any time. Masking is lifting in NY state but i see masks 99% everywhere.

I only bought two heirloom tomatoes, and they were already fully ripe, which is why I stored them in the fridge. They were perfectly fine when I took them out a few days later. There were lots and lots of heirloom tomatoes, but I know they do not keep that long. There were also tons of avocados and citrus fruit, but I grow my own citrus, and so I never buy that, except for grapefruit and oranges. I have a navel orange tree, but it does not make all that much fruit.

We saw a lot of dates, but I buy those when I am in Indio, which is where they are grown. I wanted to buy more vegetables, but Kevin said we could only eat so much of that. I looked for chilies, but I think it is a bit early for those. In the past I have found chocolate Habanero chilies, but those are pretty rare. It does not look like I am going to get a crop of those this year, as I mishandled the seedlings - at least the first batch of them. I also think that I need new seeds. I'll try again next year. I saw some shishito peppers (as well as bell peppers, which I did not need), but I don't use those that much. I might buy some next time, however.

No tube socks or trinkets at our farmers' markets ever - you can buy those at the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

I need to take better care of my avocado tree, but it is difficult when I am not around for four weeks at a time. Anyway, avocados are very plentiful at the farmers' markets. We saw some huge artichokes as well, and one vendor was selling artichoke flowers, which were pretty, but I prefer the artichokes.

The Mar Vista Market was requesting unvaccinated people to wear masks but was allowing vaccinated people to enter without masks, and there were police guards at the entrance. Only about 1/3 of the people were wearing masks, but we were not really concerned since the market is outdoors and we are completely vaccinated.

We bought half a loaf of Jewish rye bread, but it was rather expensive at $6 for half a loaf, but they were selling full loaves for $14, and so it didn't seem all that bad. I had not bought bread in a very long time, and I felt that it would be good to support local bakers.

B.C. (Before COVID):

A wonderful goat chees Brie (Sadly the farm that produced the cheese is gone.)

European style French bread (Haven't seen them at the market so they may be gone too.)

Fresh herbs

Garlic Scapes

Ramps

I basically buy to supplement what my garden does not grow.

I tend to visit individual farms rather than go to the Farmers Markets as I am not a fan of crowds.

I get my farmer's market delivered, but I think my favorite thing is the same as in person--it's the little oddities, like just now I have purple kohlrabi. It was just available last week, as were English peas. Here in SoCal, we have much less in/out of season, but these specialty items were obviously never planted for large distribution to begin with. From the non-produce vendors, I appreciate the direct to consumer prices for artisan, small lot things, from meats to walnut butter.

Of course, the peas never make it into a dish. I wish there were more. Right out of the pod is how I like them (and then I don't have to share!).

We don't have many farmers markets, I only go to one of them sometimes. Pastys from the pasty stall, they have the best ones like I remember as a kid. Sometimes cheese from a couple cheese stalls if I got the bucks to treat ourselves- so good, but so easy to go overboard so I try not to even start. Black garlic and a sauce or two from another couple that homegrows and makes the stuff, dried beans and sometimes fresh garlic from a lovely lady later in the year. Sometimes a very local honey that comes from a couple miles away from me, Produce I'm not growing if it looks great and it's not at one of the farmers stands. There's a few excellent meat vendors too, but they don't bring much fresh, opting to arrange delivery or pickup most of the time. And the fresh stuff goes fast and early. I don't go often because it's on a Saturday and in a very tourist town so it's always packed unless it's raining- then some vendors might not show or opt to leave early, lol.

We have a ton of farmers stands in the area instead. I go to around a half dozen or so within an easy 15 minute drive, but there's another dozen or so within a half hour. One I go to for asparagus sometimes, another is best for bulk tomatoes if I need them and some peppers I don't feel like growing to can up a few jars. Another has great peppers other folks don't sell and often the best melons around as well as interesting greens and weeds. Another has the best sweet corn and great preserves in the fall, another lovely root crops and tree fruit. A couple more of them just have nice assortments of all sorts of produce and preserves. So a few times through the season while they are open, I'll pick a nice weekday morning for a country drive and sweep through them. Sometimes I'll do it on a Thrusday and hit some of the estate and barn sales along the way.

I used to go to fruit and vegetable stands in Sonoma County when I lived in San Francisco, but I would have to have a friend drive me up there (usually on a trip to the Russian River) because I did not have a car. San Francisco has a good farmers' market at the Ferry Building, but of course part of it is indoors. I don't think it was there when I lived there, as I moved away Nov 1984. It reminds me of the The Original Farmers' Market on Fairfax in L.A., which has been here forever.

I often find cherimoya at the Hollywood Farmers' market and only occasionally in Mar Vista, but I do buy it when I find it.

I did see a lot of almonds last Sunday, as well as some extremely interesting mushrooms, which I sometimes buy, but they tend to be expensive and don't go very far. There was also a lot of garlic, and I should have bought some of that, as it is just now coming into season here. I'll get some next time.

I don't really notice meat at the farmers' markets, but then I do not look for it, but I do find locally caught seafood/fish. We often buy that, but I was already planning to have lobster and shrimp that day. I have salmon in the freezer from last season that I need to cook anyway.

There were also a fair number of fresh figs, which I like, but I am reluctant to buy them because they are never as good as the ones I grew in Venice. I did see goat cheese and other cheeses, including vegan versions.

BTW, Lars, starting last week, the farm has had a good variety of peppers, so you should be seeing them soon. I've been planning chili--I got tomatillos too--but my time keeps being stolen by documents and other worky stuff. :(

We have wonderful farmer's markets here. They sell seasonal local produce, so no tomatoes yet, but it's high fresh strawberry and cherry season. (Fruit from Eastern WA is the only food allowed to be sold that's not "local"). Lots of greens starting when the markets open in April, then a great variety of things gradually start showing up as the weather warms. I was thrilled with the first fresh carrots a couple of weeks ago; there's always lots of cilantro, spring onions and garlic scapes, now the garlic is becoming fresh heads, soon to be ready to be dried. We are having a rare extreme heat wave...107 predicted for Sunday, so I suspect it will be hard on the local produce.

We have some fabulous bakeries here in Olympia that sell at the market; abundant fresh seafood and local meat, too. Lots of fresh flowers, plants and garden starts. Burnt Ridge Nursery, which is a very well known nursery in these parts, sells native plants, lots of fruit and nut trees, and berry bushes, then when it's harvest time they sell their organic fruits and nuts, blueberries, apples, hazelnuts and kiwi.

Our farmers market continued throughout lockdown because it counted as a food supplier. At one point, when we were only allowed out for essential shopping and exercise, it became one of the only places one could visit for a bit of a change of scenery.

No way could NYC markets compete with California markets. Though the HudsonValleyNY and NewJersey have excellent growing lands. Mostly foot traffic in NYC so no cars are needed but when i used to shop the UnionSquare market years ago just before Thanksgiving i had no issues parking. I did walk through a few times Fall 2020 and was impressed with the 3 dozen varieties of apples and the many new winter squash varities i saved seeds from.

We now prefer roadside farm stands. Most great, some dismal. One favorite is all about the corn,... 4 varieties still being unloaded from the fields through the morning hours. Still cold and damp from the morning temps. One crop i stopped growing is corn when i found that farm.

CSA's must be excellent in California as Plllog has experienced. Much more variety than i can get here in a short season. Would be nice to make some selections like, "more peas please!".

Our local grass fed meat farm share has a request box for 'no chicken', no 'pork', extra dozen eggs, etc.

What i like about farmers markets is it allows start-ups to get their feet wet in a new business. Same with food trucks. All supported if the passion is there.

Not wanting to switch into farming/gardening, but if your land/soil/environment is not balanced, you have destrutive insects in higher numbers. @dcarch, i believe some of your unconventional garden practises are detrimental to your crops. Yet you get, and accept, what happens no matter. Your choice of course.

Identifying the culprit that can be different each season, identifying the insects that visit every Spring....covering is so simple.

I learn from the best and it is so available.

Charles Dowding. A market gardener but one of the best to learn from. (...and so many more)

A cover is only needed on a crop for a short time then moved to another....so simple. 20bucks and has lasted me 4 year so far. (i have a variety of mesh covers but not a big expense if i spread it out over the years....)....my blueberries have similar. And my concord grapes being toxic to pups...the seeds.

Holes in leaves are no big deal in my garden if i miss a bug infestation, but try selling a buggy/holey crop.

So cheap for years of protection....

Re California, yes, we feed a large portion of the country, keep the best for ourselves, and import more. The CSA's come in all kinds from sorry and inconvenient to ne plus ultra. Michigan has a short growing season but is renowned for fabulous produce, so my guess is that some of it may be climate, but other is probably passion. When one raises the bar the next one aims higher.

My small local Farmer’s Market is tomorrow. My favorite things change - of late I have been particularly enjoying (and will probably pick up) fresh ricotta, mushrooms and salad turnips. I deeply miss the Mennonite Baker who makes delicious Bauernbrot - as well as pretzels, cookies as well as many other breads. He doesn’t come to our market any more. There is a lovely young baker at the Gristmill (next to the market) - he makes good bread as well.

My garden is late but producing enough greens to keep me busy.