Fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries at the Long Beach Farmer's Market
While whirling around in the familial vortex that resides in Southern California, we also had one quick trip to the local Farmer’s Market (Long Beach at the Alamitos Bay marina).
Walking through the market, its brilliantly obvious that over half of the nation’s fruit and vegetables come from California. In this late March, there are thousands of ripe, red strawberries, stacks of tender baby asparagus, artichokes, fresh dates.
This particular farmer’s market is not much more than a city block, but the eye-catching variety is inspirational.
If you’ve read this blog for much time at all, you know that I have an affinity for farmer’s markets. Most foodies appreciate eating regional food when traveling; what better way to understand a culture than to eat its food? When I travel, I take the approach that there is no better way to know a COMMUNITY but to visit its farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets represent the people.
Sweet peas at Long Beach Farmer's Market
In the case of Long Beach’s farmer’s market, along side the variety of fresh food is a Mexican man strumming guitar and serenading the shoppers for tips, children running through stalls threatening to tip over the wobbly tables and bikes parked without locks.
With tables of overflowing fresh fruits and vegetables and a sense of safety, I kept wondering if the people of this community understand how fortunate they are to have this quality and variety of food in their backyards. Here is it, mid-March and California is bursting with flavor and color; inviting the coffee-drinking casually strolling families and couples to imagine a dinner that is special, fresh and wholesome. The farmers are fortunate too. They cultivate a naturally abundant land and have a cornucopia of crops from which to choose and a community willing, able and ready to buy. At least that’s what it looks like from my vantage point.
Ripe, robust tomatoes
Contrast the Long Beach farmer’s market or any other with the fact that entire US communities exist without so much as a suitable grocery store, much less a farmer’s market. Not a stretch of land within these interiors is suitable for food farming and grocery stores have deserted the place for a more upscale locations. Imagine living in a place where the only source of food is a 7-11 or fast food. If you live in suburbia, that’s pretty hard to imagine. If you live in a dense city center, it might not be such a stretch, particularly with the disappearance of the family owned market.
If only we could repeat the farmer’s market concept everywhere, in each community interior. Would it be possible to eradicate food deserts?
Strangely, this farmers market in one of the most abundant places on the earth made me think of Detroit. There, community leaders are making farming sexy again by allocating space to feed its community. They aren’t allocating space to grow soy or corn – they want food to grow where there was none before. Rather, they want to grow food where it hasn’t grown in the modern memory. The leaders and people of Detroit are face with blight and a repressive poverty and see farming as a community solution on many levels, including food and jobs, but also, some of its buildings could even converted to indoor farming spaces, using vertical farming techniques so that Detroit could feed itself even in the middle of winter. Local farming would be revitalized, community and co-op would have a significant place in the community along with food that doesn’t come in a bag, box or can. Many, many interests would be opposed to this concept including grocery stores and corporate farmers, but wouldn’t it be practically Utopian?
Are local farmer’s markets and movements like Jamie Oliver’s or Detroit’s be changing us? Could we be turning a corner in our country? Could we possibility be returning to a time when the farmer and fresh food is the center of the community as opposed to to its exterior? As we hear more and more about our food and its sources and effects on our bodies, is it finally dawning on us that eating fresh food is important both for our health and our communities. Colorful food isn’t just something that foodies appreciate, its something everyone can appreciate. Could Detroit compete with California as the bread basket of the United States? Is it possible that a new commitment to growing food to eat (rather than to process) could change our world?
As a farmer’s market hound, I hope so. Farmer’s markets leave me with respect for the farmers and appreciation for the food and typically, a great dinner.
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Dear Tara – I love this Utopian concept and I would like to believe that there is hope….which is why I am such a fan of co-op community farming and am heartened by the happenings in Detroit.
Reading your article made me think of Abraham Maslow and his theory of Motivation & Personality where he states that human needs are pyramid based and at the bottom of the pyramid is the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. At the apex is the need for higher pursuits like art & finer things of life.
For humanity to rise up the the pyramid tier the requirements of the bottom tier must be met with and it is in this manner that we rise as a society.
In the view of the economic climate and the detritus left behind in cities such as Detroit I think it is interesting that a Utopian concept has gelled with the base need for food. Isn’t that the ideal scenario when life imitates art per se? It is certainly a flicker of light at a time when we need it most. I keep faith!
A thought provoking article as always. Thanks
Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Dear Tara,
Your articles are always so thought provoking article. Seems so simple and makes sense, why then isn’t it being practice – everywhere? So many wonderful techniques are being implemented throughout the world,we have everything, we just don’t utilize these wonderful farmers the way they should be. I watched Jamie Oliver’s TED presentation and was shocked when he had a table full of vegetables, he then asked them what a real potato was, then showed an eggplant. They didn’t know the names of those vegetables. How can children be raised that way? Oyi! I bet if they were shown a box of Tater Tot’s, they would know sure enough. How very sad. Thank you for bringing this forefront. Hoping your momentous message spreads so that people begin clamoring for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Hugs,
Penelope
What a poem of a post, as always!
Have you heard of Window Gardens? I was listening to a Podcast made from NPR stories on food, and they mentioned it. It’s basically a hanging hydroponic garden that you can keep anywhere you have access to a few free or cheap supplies, running water, and a window with access to sunlight. I plan on making one in my apartment when I move out, or possibly sooner if I can get my Grandmother’s approval.
@Mattheous – you are so sweet! I will check out the Window Gardens! What a great suggestion. THANK YOU for always bringing something so great to the blog!
@PT – I know its Utopian..but a girl/foodie can dream, no? I saw the Jamie Oliver clip where the kids couldn’t identify fresh food too..makes me sad. I am reading “Food Matters” right now. Very interesting..in the vein of Micheal Pollack. How one man changed his life. Interesting..WITH recipes!
@Devaki – we should all keep the faith..even if it is hopelessly Utopian..otherwise, what would we reach for? =) Thank you for always reading!
Hi Tara!
I wished farmers markets were bigger here where I live but unfortunately they’re not. I would love to visit the ones in the States when I get a chance but right now with two little ones it’s quite the adventure just going to Costco. Haha. My hubby and I definitely plan our trips around food but don’t know why it never occurred to me to visit the farmers markets during our travels – doh (say it like Homer
) You switched the light on for me when you said, “there is no better way to know a COMMUNITY but to visit its farmer’s market.” BRILLIANT! Thanks you for this insightful post and the follow on Twitter. Hope you have a wonderful day.
@Tara: You are indeed welcome! Let us know how it turns out–with a blog post!
I haven’t been to the LB Farmer’s Market, but almost all of the So Cal weekly markets I have been to are a chef’s paradise. The only thing better is growing your own!
I think that when folks are exposed to the goodness that is homegrown, local produce, they come to value its importance. As a kid, my parents used to bring me to farmer’s markets to supplement their small budget at the time with fresh produce that was significantly cheaper than grocery stores. As their income went up, they still valued those trips to the farmer’s market, and continued to go. My father, who is a blues musician (look up Rick Franklin sometime), eventually started playing his music at local farmer’s markets. Stand owners loved the added entertainment so much that they would give him produce after sets, further filling our house with organic goodness. Needless to say, I’m a fan like you, Tara. I remember when I was studying in Italy, we found the farmer’s market at the sleepy town that we were in, and quickly learned how to buy plump blackberries and peaches bursting with juice, along with corkscrews and sunglasses. It was some goodness
My love for heirloom tomato eventually evolved into a need to grow my own produce as well. One of the hardest aspects of living in NYC is the extremely limited space to grow anything of my own. It hasn’t stopped me though – my sunny window sill is a home for fresh herbs, and I have a dwarf blueberry bush growing on my itty bitty terrace. When we love something, we do what we can.
Thanks for the great post, BTW. I am officially adding the link to your site on my “Friends ‘O Mine” section on my site. I just love it that much
@Angela – Thanks for commenting (again) its great to see you back. I really admire your dedication to growing your own food. I have slightly more space than you, and have been admonishing myself for not starting a garden myself…tomatoes, being one of the impetuses, ironically! At the VERY least, I should have an herb garden. I think my fear comes from my ability to kill just about any plant, but now that I have kept my pointsetta from Xmas alive, I have more confidence. =)
Thanks again for the thought provoking comment.
@caveman – you are so lucky to be in SoCal with all that great produce. Lucky, lucky you. I think you and @Angela have similar ideas about gardening! What do you grow? Tell us! Tempt us!
@lequan – Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Its hard to get good fresh food even in places where there are farmers markets, availability and times are limited and it takes a lot of planning and time..as you said, its much easier to go to Costco..which I do too, despite my adoration of Farmer’s Markets. Next time you get a chance, I think you’ll find that traveling to a Farmer’s Mkt is a great addition to any travel agenda!