8.29.2013

Patagonia's Thursday Farmers' Market Full of Local Organic Treats

Blue took a break from eating carrots at the market, here with what's left of the bunch © DK Crawford 2013
Part of our bounty from the farmers' market
Patagonia has started to host occasional Thursday afternoon farmer's markets from 4:30-6:30 behind the Patagonia retail store that features organic produce and gifts from the sea and 1% of all proceeds will be going to the Edible School Yard Project. The next market is tomorrow August 29th., but it doesn't happen every Thursday, so check in advance of going.
Patagonia Farmers' Market Thursdays in Ventura
Johnny Fonteyn showing off his melon
Two weekends ago, a girlfriend and I visited our first one. I loved shopping late afternoon on a Thursday right before the weekend. And because it's a smaller market, each farmer took the time to give me amazing details and tips about their produce! We learned how to pick a ripe melon from Rio Gozo Farm's Johnny Fonteyn, that his bride Elizabeth has joined forces with a girlfriend and farms an extra half-acre of squash and flowers. We found out about varieties of grapes we didn't know of and got figs from sunny Ojai even though they hadn't ripened in Ventura yet.
Strawberry Jam from Rio Gozo Farm of Ojai

When we got home, we opened our bounty and sat out in the garden sharing tiny finger-sized ears of baby corn and seascape strawberries from McGrath Farms, two varieties of grapes from BD Dautch's Eathtrine Farm in Ojai, and a Mountain Sweet orange melon from Rio Gozo that was full and juicy and so so sweet. And then we talked about the crabs and realized we simply had to go back and get some! He also sells even got home, grabbed more money and went back for whole live crabs, yup they have em'!


Tomatillos

Fresh Live Crabs making bubbles...



Squash that can't decide if it's gonna be yellow or green :)

One Gun Ranch was there too


Organic Non-GMO Baby Corn from McGrath Farms in Camarillo

Coreopsis Flowers