| | Published April 29th, 2009
| Get Ready for the Orinda Farmers' Market
| | By Cathy Tyson | | |
Break out the shortcake and spaghetti sauce recipes, the Farmers' Market is set to re-open for the season. For residents who have been counting down the days until fresh strawberries and sweet ripe organic tomatoes arrive, the wait is over.
Every Saturday, starting May 2 through November 21, from 9:00 until 1:00 families and neighbors can enjoy the bounty of local farms right downtown. The market will open at the same location as last year, on Orinda Way by the Community Park and Rite Aid. "We are happy to have it," said Monica Pacheco, Orinda's Public Information Officer. "The Orinda Farmers' Market is known for the quality of its produce and great vendors - it's very successful and widely attended."
Although not quite ready yet, Market management is working to provide bio-degradable bags for produce. In the meantime, they definitely encourage the use of reusable cloth bags for shoppers.
As eating in season has grown in popularity, consumers have come to appreciate the huge improvement in flavor from produce grown locally versus something that has been in cold storage for months, or shipped from South America. Corn from Brentwood and strawberries from Watsonville just taste better.
Some shoppers also site the reduction in fossil fuels that comes from purchasing local produce, preferring their apples come from California rather than Washington State.
To learn more about Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets, go to www.cccfm.org.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA