Do you feel it? The subtle brush of coolness on the wind. Do you see it? The distorted angle to sunlight, even at high noon, that colors the golden hills a deeper shade of “baked grass”. Do you hear it? The geese flying overhead and the crackle of late-summer leaves on plants in California. Do you taste it? The sweetest sweet of fruit and vegetables from the summer-hardened plants of late September. In their own way, these plants are the Greek heroes of the year, having survived April frosts and August heatwaves, only to land in late September when everything is… perfect.
(click left to read full article)
At the Napa Farmers Market, most of our customers come to see my farm’s stand, Sun Tracker Farm, during the summer knowing they can find the rare but delicious Charentais melon. Even though we grow seven different varieties of mind-blowing melons, Charentais is our “hook crop”. Customers come specifically for these melons, and while they are at our stand, they buy a few more things. Unfortunately, this year the cascading pile of Charentais melon was replaced by a “mystery melon”. This melon was orange, it was sweet, but it was not a Charentais.
(click left to read full article)
Over the last year many of us adjusted our budgets to the rapid rise in cost for everything we buy. Even at the Napa Farmers Market, the cost of goods from its vendors increased similarly to the grocery store. As a consumer, that increased cost when you bought a head of lettuce or a dozen eggs may have caused you to grumble. You may have asked, does it really cost that much more to grow lettuce now than 6 months ago?
(click left to read full article)
The further our economies shift towards industrialization, the more we become dependent on plastic. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) within 10 years our planet will cross the threshold of catastrophic global warming if we do not immediately transition our economies away from fossil fuels. While plastic is only a small part of our greenhouse gas emissions, it is worth noting that almost every bit of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form, and that plastic was made from fossil fuels.
(click left to read full article)
By nature, farming is a process of cycles. Cycles of planting, tending, harvesting, birthing of animals, death of animals, spring growth, winter hibernation… on and on every year. For every farmer there are certain seasonal milestones that punctate these cycles and mark the start or passing of different cycles.
(click left to read full article)
The last few weeks you probably noticed a little extra sand at the bottom of your lettuce heads when prepping a salad. A veteran lettuce eater will tell you that rain always causes an extra bit of soil and sand to creep into the leaves of lettuce heads. And while sandy salad is never pleasant, it is a minor inconvenience compared to both the good and the bad that resulted in California’s recent bombardment of atmospheric rivers.
(click left to read full article)
With their cotyledon leaves packed full of flavor and nutrition, microgreens are not every farmers market shopper’s usual staple. Luckily for us, if you stroll down the producer aisle of the Napa Farmers Market you can meet Jonathan Jones of Delta Microgreens. With an ever-present smile, abundance of knowledge, and an obvious passion for his work, Jonathan will teach you about all the many different microgreens he grows, their countless benefits for your health, and how they can be used to spice up your weekly cooking routine.
(click left to read full article)
November and December are a time for lists… for kids it can be lists of presents and for adults it may be parties to attend, gifts to buy, recipes to try, and resolutions to think of. While we all know what kind of lists Santa is making at this time of year, not everyone knows what kind of lists a farmer is making.
(click left to read full article)
One of the many magical reasons to live in California is our relatively mild climate, full of many pockets of microclimates. From the cool, foggy coastlines to the hot, dry summers of the Central Valley, it can sometimes feel like we have no real seasons in California. While many East Coast natives may emphatically argue that California is seasonless, one group that knows California’s seasons are farmers and seasonal farmers market shoppers.
(click left to read full article)
It is finally October, and everyone knows that means pumpkin season. Be it a decoration, an activity for your kids, a caffeinated beverage, or a meal, starting October 1st pumpkins are suddenly the fruit you find everywhere.
(click left to read full article)
This summer I found myself many miles from California, travelling through its sister lands. We started in France, then went down Italy, all around Greece, and up through Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia. In many ways these countries boarding the Adriatic Sea are like California. A Chapparal landscape of scrubby brush, small trees, rocky soils, and mountainous terrain falling to the sea. Dry and hot, with scars of fire.
(click left to read full article)
You can always tell a lot about someone by meeting their friends. Afterall, true friends are those who celebrate with you, pick you up at your lowest, and support you when you get the crazy idea to start a farm or ranch.
(click left to read full article)
July at the Napa Famers Market is the Friends of the Market fundraising campaign during which our non-profit association asks everyone to donate to support the market. Now before you pass to the next article or side-step the donation booth while you are at the market, please hear from a farmer why you should donate to this wonderful cause.
(click left to read full article)
Every farmer has a favorite vegetable of the season. In the summer it could be eggplant, peppers, okra, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. For me, it is summer squash. Now before you gasp in horror that I chose what you may think of as a bland, watery vegetable over something sweet and colorful like a tomato, hear me out.
(click left to read full article)
By the time most shoppers arrive at the farmers market, they are greeted by perfectly organized stands of fruit and vegetables. Pint baskets set out straight in attractive contrasting colors of tomatoes or peppers, mountains of melons, fuzzy peaches in their trays, and all the price labels and shopping bags readily at hand. In the shadowy depths of the EZ-Up canopies behind the tables is the unseen market truck and extra market supplies. And all around the market are signs and seating areas offered by the Napa Farmers Market association.
(click left to read full article)
If you are a long-time shopper at the Napa Farmers Market, two faces you are familiar with are Henry and Loida De Jesus from J & M Ibarra Farms. With their wide selection of seasonal produce, they are one of the more popular stands at the market where shoppers go to buy their baby greens, bok choy, fresh beans, and more.
(click left to read full article)
“Bombtober” some called it, when an incredible atmospheric river drenched the drought-stricken soils and mountains of California. We all danced and rejoiced, and much thought, and may still think, that we made it through the recent stretch of drought. Was it realistic to believe that a few days of heavy rain could undo the harm of months and years of drought? Only if it continued to rain, but it never did.
(click left to read full article)
Owning a small business, of any kind, is no small feat. In addition to the difficulties of starting the business, there is also the daily and yearly work to make the business successful. How much do we spend? Are we making enough money to support ourselves? How do we manage risks? And perhaps the hardest question, how do we stay happy in our profession?
(click left to read full article)
The astute Napa Farmers Market shopper may have noticed a few familiar faces offering their produce under a new farm name. The market community is very excited to welcome Picoso Farms to the Napa Farmers Market lineup on Saturdays, and Tuesdays starting this spring.
(click left to read full article)
For most farmers, December is the moment when we stop and rest on the laurels of the year. The year 2021 brought us all the normal victories and challenges of any farming season, but for a few of us it came with a very special “package.”
(click left to read full article)
