Focus on Food—Why We Need Savannah's Organic Ranch

Aliso Viejo does not have its own farmer's market...yet. If Savannah's Organic Ranch gets passed and starts producing local, organic produce, it should be a great resource. Until then, we have plenty of farmer's markets to visit.

One of my favorites is Laguna Niguel's market near Henry's on Sunday mornings.

But what are the benefits of a farmer's market? Why buy local?  

1. Know where your food comes from! You can actually talk to the people who sell, pick and grow the food. I met Michael of Drake's Family Farms, where "every goat has a name." He told me the story of his family's farm and how the clan moved from Utah to Ontario just late last year. They have 19 goats, and his father has a veterinarian degree from UC Davis. You can tell Drake cares about his products. We bought some plain goat cheese and had some with our lunch; it was amazingly declicious.
2. Keeping it local means more money stays in our local economy. It might not be from Aliso Viejo, but in the case of the gorgeous organic strawberries we bought, they were grown within an hour of the market. We got three containers of strawberries for $5. It was an amazing deal. They were fresh and there was no concern of them being treated with some crazy fumigant that might cause cancer (methyl iodide was part of last week's Simply Green).
3. Freshness. The less your food has to travel, the fresher it is and the fewer resources are used bringing it to your table. 
4. Educational. My daughter loves visiting the different stands and asking questions. We recently purchased worm castings from the "Worm Wrangler" because our bin is still too new to produce castings. You don't need a vermicomposter to get worm castings for your garden; you can purchase them at the farmer's market. I used mine today in my vegetable garden. Just apply around the base of your plants, then water. You can use them every other week as fertilizer.
5. Less packaging. At farmer's markets, the fruits and veggies are generally not packaged in anything but their own skin. You can bring your own bags to carry your fresh picks. There are a variety of options to choose from. The Worm Wrangler had degradable plastic bags, so I took one for my worm castings without too much guilt, although biodegradable would be better because there is a difference. Less packaging means less waste, but it also means less overhead for the farmers.
6. Variety. In addition to produce, there are breads, honey and other locally made products at farmer's markets, although I have to admit my favorite local honey comes from Mother's market in Laguna Woods. It's made in Aliso Canyon and it went perfectly with our newly purchased goat cheese. The best part of a visit to a farmer's market is the family feast that takes place afterward: fresh fruit, bread, cheese and some other things we picked up from our local Trader Joe's.

When we know where our food comes from, we start to care about what we put in our bodies, we care about the people who grow it and we become part of that community by participating in it.  

Savannah's Organic Ranch will bring us so much closer to that. But until then, I encourage everyone to spend a morning with their families at a nearby farmer's market, then enjoy a meal from all the things you purchased and discuss how those foods make you feel and how they compare with store-bought food. It can be quite an education.

I know it was for me many years ago when I first went to a farmer's market.  I can't imagine my life without them now.