Beast Blog

Farmer's Markets/CSAs

for cheap, healthy eats you can't beat a farmer's market. not only do you get fresh (mostly organic) produce, but you also support sustainable small farms, cuz the middleman is left out & the farmer makes a larger profit.

i like the grand lake farmer's market best. its getting bigger & more diverse all the time in its offerings, & the city is finally getting rid of that weird cobblestone lake thing (bordered by Grand, Lake Park, and the freeway) & making a permanent home for it.

in second place for me is the berkeley farmers market, which used to be "the shit" but is really too crowded now. sadly, temescal could not sustain a farmer's market & it petered out, i think. old oakland has one, but i've never been.

if getting to the farmer's market is too hard for your schedule, there are several delivery "box" services that can help. you'll get a box of organic, family or CSA (Community Sustainable Agriculture Project) produce delivered to a drop off or your home.

The one that's super-rad is Full-Belly Farm. Not only do you support a specific farm in their efforts, but every year, they have a "hoes-down" where all box recipients are welcomed to the farm for camping & meeting the farm & its inhabitants. dancing, feasting, and fun!

in second place for me is "The Box", but its only second cuz it's just the food, not fest...

updated 5/19/03:
There are indeed distributors that work with several organic farms to provide a box of organic produce. one of the better ones is called simply "the box". they are based in SF, but have service to the east bay. their number is 415 ORGANIC.