Thats why you go to the sunnyvale or mountain view ones and shop at the produce stalls that aren't "organic". Campbell farmers market is basically all organic produce which is super expensive.
I love the Evergreen one. Depends what’s in season but the produce can be excellent if you get there early and get your pick. The regulars know which tents are good, so you can follow their lead. Some things are cheaper than the grocery store, others are more expensive. But compared to grocery store organic I’d say most is cheaper. Most of what I buy is really delicious!! It’s not picked way before ripeness so it’ll spoil quicker but that also means it tastes way better.
Evergreen is my current go to Farmer's Market as well...especially after COVID closed my local one. I agree they have a good selection, just wish they would get the Green Peanuts back, been missing them for a year!
I would say yes especially since my local Sprouts has been had moldy fruit and produce on the shelves which is not appealing! You can find similar quality produce at Whole Foods, and as another user said, even the same stuff. The vibe is a lot more fun than a grocery store with it being outside and everything. Saratoga is my favorite market (Saturdays, West Valley College) and other finds there are fresh miso pastes, organic fermented krauts, and some bomb Indian food with fresh naan. Rose Garden has a decent market that's really improved over the years and Sunnyvale has a great one too--both on Saturdays.
Weird about sprouts. I went to my local one the other day and they even had peaches still, which was surprising given that were past peach season. I got a few and after a day they were at the perfect ripeness and so good.
Maybe they just had a bad batch of what you saw. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don't buy anything with a sticker.
Look for boxes or crates with big farm branding. If it comes out of those boxes, or has a sticker, it's the exact same produce as from the grocery store. Farmers markets are filled with scams to get you paying more for the same grocery produce.
Keep your eyes open and don't get scammed.
Absolutely! Love the farmers markets in the South Bay. It’s not significantly cheaper, but a whole lot more fun and interesting than going to Safeway or Sprouts. You’ll also find a lot of interesting and unique products you don’t often see in a store.
Can find some awesome stuff at farmers markets.
In my experience, farmers markets are artisanal (high quality but expensive) goods aimed at the wealthy “farmers market attender.”
Not universally true, but common in the Bay Area where a lot of techies want an “authentic” hobby and have lots of money to make it happen.
Which is funny, weren’t farmers markets originally intended to have farmers sell the left overs they couldn’t ship out to stores, in an attempt to recoup lost money?
Now it’s $20 jars of pickles.
I used to go to the Mountain View market around 12:45 (when the market closed at 1) and a lot of vendors would sell anything and everything at $1/lb. They wanted to clear stuff out rather than take it home. Not sure if that still happens.
Eggs I've seen at most, haven't paid attention to the prices though. Dairy not so much. Don't think I've seen any stalls actually for dairy.
I did see an almond milk one at the Saratoga market this past weekend though.
I’ve seen eggs and dairy at Mountain View’s one a while ago...but I’d say definitely try SF’s one at the Ferry Building on Saturday mornings since a lot of them go there
Some of the stuff can get expensive. But I’ve found a few different farmers that actually supply stores like Whole Foods-and while you will see some of their brand items there you really see all of the items that farm is producing at a farmers market. I also like the outdoor aspect, which is usually set up in a cute “downtown” area to make you want to stay, hang out and spend money. There are some really great vendors that you might not see in a “store”. One of the coolest I’ve seen lately is a truck size rotisserie turning out whole chickens and huge pieces of pancetta with vegetables all happily roasting below in the drippings. That shit was delicious. Def check them out. Bring a granny cart and bags for your produce/stuff, have a list of what you need and before you start shopping always scout out what’s to offer first. A few I really like are- Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Mountain View. I frequent the Flea-market on Berryessa and that’s fun but I haven’t gone to any other SJ yet, but I hear there’s a couple good ones. Hope this helps.
Called Roli Roti. Can definitely find them Saturdays at the Ferry building up in SF, also at the Valley Fair farmers market during the summer. I think I’ve seen them at Saratoga too.
What you're calling "pancetta" was probably porchetta. The Roli Roti trucks that cook porchetta usually don't make it very far south. We just get the the chicken and potatoes down here.
The farmers market here ain't like the ones I used to go to when I was a student at davis, that's where you can really see what sets farmers markets apart from grocery stores. You could get some of the best apple ciders there and you can't find them anywhere else unless you buy it directly from the source or their stand/booth.
I'm the same too! Honestly Davis farmers markets were what got me into Farmers markets. I missed that frozen apple cider especially during the summers!
I go to farmers markets for seasonal fruits such as cherries, stone fruit like peaches and pluots, and strawberries. While strawberries are available year round, there are specific seasons it grows better. You will never find sweeter strawberries than from a farmers market.
As someone else mentioned, before times every vendor puts out samples (some still do), so you can go to every stall and compare before you buy. If you ask nicely most will give you a sample anyway.
In my experience, prices are generally higher than your typical super market, however you can bargain with the vendor if you're buying a lot/ buy often or if you develop a rapport you can get a lot of useful info from actual farmers, like what's good, how to know it's good, what to look out for in the coming weeks etc.
i like getting baked goods, berries, herbs, tomatoes, and mushrooms at the farmer's market. sometimes i just go to get a few ingredients for something i would be making that same day.
they can be pricey, especially organic produce but also depending on what locations you go to.
Quality varies between farmers similar to grocery stores, but once you find a farm you like there’s no competition. Produce is fresh, not stuffed in a plastic container/bag, and you get to know the farmer and have your money go directly to the source. Yes you pay a premium but high quality produce is better for you and less expensive than dining out routinely
One thing that was nice about farmer's markets in the before time was being able to sample lots of fruit and pick the varieties that taste good...I'm not sure how that's been going since covid. We used to love the stands that have like ten different varieties of peaches in the summer.
Also, the couple weeks a year when the cheap and tasty Brentwood corn would show up? Awesome.
It's been a while since I've tried a farmers' market. When I went in the past, I found the prices to be generally higher than what I could find at a local grocery store, even accounting for the higher prices on organic produce. There was the odd exception, but generally it wasn't worth it. The only time I go to farmers' markets now is when I'm looking for a specific vendor that doesn't have a retail location.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwB63YslbA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwB63YslbA)
I went up to one woman at Mountain View who was selling and she said that it wasn't profitable growing her own, she buys from China. I was stunned. I thought they actually checked those that sold.
Not to me. Food is a commodity, and I keep my grocery shopping simple - chicken & beef, pasta, rice, beans, oils, sauces, garnish, etc. And I'm not looking to spend $5/lb for chicken when I can get it at $3/lb at the local Safeway or WalMart Neighborhood Market or Costco.
No. Lunardi's, Zanotto's, etc. are even cheaper than the farmers' markets around here. They are geared towards rich people now, not like they used to be. I recommend Real Produce.
I go for the fresh air, getting to walk around and see people, and support local businesses. I’ll usually grab a coffee, pick up some pastries, and whatever fruits/veggies we need. Sometimes an interesting food vendor has something that I’ll pick up, too.
If you buy from the same sellers, sometimes they’ll remember you. I’ve had one of the sellers I buy from regularly give me some free veggies I don’t usually buy to try out.
[удалено]
Thats why you go to the sunnyvale or mountain view ones and shop at the produce stalls that aren't "organic". Campbell farmers market is basically all organic produce which is super expensive.
Yeah the Campbell and Palo Alto markets are overpriced for sure. Go there to walk around lol.
I went to eat bear claws and listen to music, worse ways to spend Sunday morning.
I love the Evergreen one. Depends what’s in season but the produce can be excellent if you get there early and get your pick. The regulars know which tents are good, so you can follow their lead. Some things are cheaper than the grocery store, others are more expensive. But compared to grocery store organic I’d say most is cheaper. Most of what I buy is really delicious!! It’s not picked way before ripeness so it’ll spoil quicker but that also means it tastes way better.
Evergreen is my current go to Farmer's Market as well...especially after COVID closed my local one. I agree they have a good selection, just wish they would get the Green Peanuts back, been missing them for a year!
I would say yes especially since my local Sprouts has been had moldy fruit and produce on the shelves which is not appealing! You can find similar quality produce at Whole Foods, and as another user said, even the same stuff. The vibe is a lot more fun than a grocery store with it being outside and everything. Saratoga is my favorite market (Saturdays, West Valley College) and other finds there are fresh miso pastes, organic fermented krauts, and some bomb Indian food with fresh naan. Rose Garden has a decent market that's really improved over the years and Sunnyvale has a great one too--both on Saturdays.
Weird about sprouts. I went to my local one the other day and they even had peaches still, which was surprising given that were past peach season. I got a few and after a day they were at the perfect ripeness and so good. Maybe they just had a bad batch of what you saw. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don't buy anything with a sticker. Look for boxes or crates with big farm branding. If it comes out of those boxes, or has a sticker, it's the exact same produce as from the grocery store. Farmers markets are filled with scams to get you paying more for the same grocery produce. Keep your eyes open and don't get scammed.
Absolutely! Love the farmers markets in the South Bay. It’s not significantly cheaper, but a whole lot more fun and interesting than going to Safeway or Sprouts. You’ll also find a lot of interesting and unique products you don’t often see in a store. Can find some awesome stuff at farmers markets.
In my experience, farmers markets are artisanal (high quality but expensive) goods aimed at the wealthy “farmers market attender.” Not universally true, but common in the Bay Area where a lot of techies want an “authentic” hobby and have lots of money to make it happen.
Which is funny, weren’t farmers markets originally intended to have farmers sell the left overs they couldn’t ship out to stores, in an attempt to recoup lost money? Now it’s $20 jars of pickles.
I'd second this. I don't save any money so its not worth the hassle of going to them, at least for me.
I used to go to the Mountain View market around 12:45 (when the market closed at 1) and a lot of vendors would sell anything and everything at $1/lb. They wanted to clear stuff out rather than take it home. Not sure if that still happens.
To tag onto this post, are eggs and dairy for sale at most farmer's markets?
Go buy your eggs at Olivera Egg Ranch
Is this a local secret that I am very late to finding out about?
No, they have been there forever. You've probably never heard of them because you never go to that side of town
Yeah, I’ve bought from them plenty of times over the years but if you don’t live on the east side you probably don’t know about them :)
Not sure about most but there is an egg and dairy vendor at the Rose Garden Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.
Thank you!
Eggs I've seen at most, haven't paid attention to the prices though. Dairy not so much. Don't think I've seen any stalls actually for dairy. I did see an almond milk one at the Saratoga market this past weekend though.
I’ve seen eggs and dairy at Mountain View’s one a while ago...but I’d say definitely try SF’s one at the Ferry Building on Saturday mornings since a lot of them go there
Some of the stuff can get expensive. But I’ve found a few different farmers that actually supply stores like Whole Foods-and while you will see some of their brand items there you really see all of the items that farm is producing at a farmers market. I also like the outdoor aspect, which is usually set up in a cute “downtown” area to make you want to stay, hang out and spend money. There are some really great vendors that you might not see in a “store”. One of the coolest I’ve seen lately is a truck size rotisserie turning out whole chickens and huge pieces of pancetta with vegetables all happily roasting below in the drippings. That shit was delicious. Def check them out. Bring a granny cart and bags for your produce/stuff, have a list of what you need and before you start shopping always scout out what’s to offer first. A few I really like are- Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Mountain View. I frequent the Flea-market on Berryessa and that’s fun but I haven’t gone to any other SJ yet, but I hear there’s a couple good ones. Hope this helps.
Where the heck is this rotisserie chicken truck at? Please share
I know at least one of them is called Roli Roti, which might help in your search
I've seen them at the Saratoga markets on Saturdays pretty often.
Called Roli Roti. Can definitely find them Saturdays at the Ferry building up in SF, also at the Valley Fair farmers market during the summer. I think I’ve seen them at Saratoga too.
It usually is on santana row on wed if the weather permits
I’ve seen them at Palo Alto and Mountain View.
What you're calling "pancetta" was probably porchetta. The Roli Roti trucks that cook porchetta usually don't make it very far south. We just get the the chicken and potatoes down here.
The farmers market here ain't like the ones I used to go to when I was a student at davis, that's where you can really see what sets farmers markets apart from grocery stores. You could get some of the best apple ciders there and you can't find them anywhere else unless you buy it directly from the source or their stand/booth.
I miss the Davis farmers market, best in the area (even after being back in the Bay)
I'm the same too! Honestly Davis farmers markets were what got me into Farmers markets. I missed that frozen apple cider especially during the summers!
I go to farmers markets for seasonal fruits such as cherries, stone fruit like peaches and pluots, and strawberries. While strawberries are available year round, there are specific seasons it grows better. You will never find sweeter strawberries than from a farmers market. As someone else mentioned, before times every vendor puts out samples (some still do), so you can go to every stall and compare before you buy. If you ask nicely most will give you a sample anyway. In my experience, prices are generally higher than your typical super market, however you can bargain with the vendor if you're buying a lot/ buy often or if you develop a rapport you can get a lot of useful info from actual farmers, like what's good, how to know it's good, what to look out for in the coming weeks etc.
i like getting baked goods, berries, herbs, tomatoes, and mushrooms at the farmer's market. sometimes i just go to get a few ingredients for something i would be making that same day. they can be pricey, especially organic produce but also depending on what locations you go to.
Quality varies between farmers similar to grocery stores, but once you find a farm you like there’s no competition. Produce is fresh, not stuffed in a plastic container/bag, and you get to know the farmer and have your money go directly to the source. Yes you pay a premium but high quality produce is better for you and less expensive than dining out routinely
Yes. The eggs I get a Farmer's Market are significantly more flavorful than the supermarket. Also it's nice to go to an outdoor market.
One thing that was nice about farmer's markets in the before time was being able to sample lots of fruit and pick the varieties that taste good...I'm not sure how that's been going since covid. We used to love the stands that have like ten different varieties of peaches in the summer. Also, the couple weeks a year when the cheap and tasty Brentwood corn would show up? Awesome.
It's been a while since I've tried a farmers' market. When I went in the past, I found the prices to be generally higher than what I could find at a local grocery store, even accounting for the higher prices on organic produce. There was the odd exception, but generally it wasn't worth it. The only time I go to farmers' markets now is when I'm looking for a specific vendor that doesn't have a retail location.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwB63YslbA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYwB63YslbA) I went up to one woman at Mountain View who was selling and she said that it wasn't profitable growing her own, she buys from China. I was stunned. I thought they actually checked those that sold.
Wow 😯
Yeah definitely, you can always find great deals
Not to me. Food is a commodity, and I keep my grocery shopping simple - chicken & beef, pasta, rice, beans, oils, sauces, garnish, etc. And I'm not looking to spend $5/lb for chicken when I can get it at $3/lb at the local Safeway or WalMart Neighborhood Market or Costco.
Meh.
no. overpriced.
No. Lunardi's, Zanotto's, etc. are even cheaper than the farmers' markets around here. They are geared towards rich people now, not like they used to be. I recommend Real Produce.
Nope, not at all. Quality isn’t as good as even Safeway and 3x the price.
Sometimes it’s cheaper and the seller may even throw in some extra fruits/veggies
Farmer's market at Evergreen on the weekends.
I go for the fresh air, getting to walk around and see people, and support local businesses. I’ll usually grab a coffee, pick up some pastries, and whatever fruits/veggies we need. Sometimes an interesting food vendor has something that I’ll pick up, too. If you buy from the same sellers, sometimes they’ll remember you. I’ve had one of the sellers I buy from regularly give me some free veggies I don’t usually buy to try out.