We've been getting most all of our produce from these folks lately, right in the desert. They mostly live southeast of us where it's a few degrees cooler and wetter. I was originally looking to my farmer's market for local food, organics that would keep my grocery dollars in southern Arizona, and encourage more of what I want to eat to be grown near my home. I then discovered what real food (as in fresh, and varieties not bred for shipping and picking while green). I was hooked. I also noticed that since the main event in local food is produce, that even while I was buying some things that were more expensive than at the store, I was hard-pressed to spend much more than $40 for a week, for a family of four, and I was shifting in a lot more fruits & vegetables to our diet now that they tasted good. We mostly buy junk food at the supermarket now, and it's amazing how fast that bill goes up compared to all the fruit you can eat in a week, which tempers one's impulse buying significantly.
First, I tip my hat to our CSA, Sunizona Farms in Wilcox. Since they are a fairly large CSA and have a greenhouse & local delivery service, they charge weekly, instead of the more traditional seasonal-subscription model. They do weekly or twice-a-month deliveries to many locations around Tucson, in biking distance of most of our neighborhoods. They also have a year-round supply of things like tomatoes with all the glass, and a substantial field crop acreage too - their carrots last winter where the best I've eaten. All fertilizer is 'veganic' - no manure means no e-coli in your lettuce. Plus a bakery which makes a nice sandwich bread; wrapping up with bulk foods (i.e. flax, rice, raisins) from other veganic farms around the continent.
What's really exciting to me right now (it's high summer), is my farmer's market. I go in to work late because it's on a friday. It's worth it. It's really chill. All the farmers chat and get to know you. Birds chirp. And with a lot of farms comes a lot of variety. I rarely want for something in the summer. From cabbage to berries, I usually find plenty of produce for a week. Eating with the seasons is usually even fulfilling in some way I don't quite understand (although I was pretty tired of leafy vegetables come last March, haha). Jesse Owens Park hosts the Tucson eastside farmers' market on Friday mornings. I bike there and usually overfil my baskets. Everyone is pesticide-free. Here are the players, listed from South to North:
George & Rosie of Grammy's in Cochise Settlement, AZ
They have greenhouses with a lot of heirloom tomatoes, and many market standards, like cukes, peaches, melons, citrus, etc. George also has a college buddy who does organic imports, bringing things from Casa Grande to Sonora, such as potatoes and mangoes. They probably have the best selection at any given time, although Richcrest is in the same league.
Peter from Big D Farms in Cochise, AZ
Over the summer, Big D has had 'good ol' dirt-grown tomatoes, berries, peaches, squash, and melons. Occasionally purple asparagus. I get the impression they grow everything they sell- quite a diverse farm, that!
Thom from Richcrest Farm in Dragoon, AZ
Richcrest is the other large spread like Grammy's, but they seem to be a little more into vegetable varieties, while Grammy's does more fruit (incl'g the tomoatoes; they both do a lot of both though). Recently they are carrying Haden Mills local organic flour, from an heirloom Sonoran wheat, and I just got some blackeye peas the family has been growing since the 1930's! Their giant carrots looks like they'll chew like a tree root, but they crisper & tastier than baby carrots from the store all through! I've been putting a lot of them on the barbecue like potatoes or corn lately, they are quite good roasted!
Tina from Walking J Farm in Amado, AZ
There is a thin sliver of higher country due south of us that stretches to Nogales. Walking J does the marquee seasonal veggies (i.e. mostly squash & garlic right now). Their real pride is their livestock. You can get most cuts of beef & pork, but the less expensive ones go fast (except the brain I'd guess). They also have a CSA with separate subscriptions for each meat and the produce. She packs an impressive array of freezers in the trailer as you might guess!
Bob Meyers from San Rafel Valley Beef (guess where?)
Their ranch is right on the border, southeast of Patagonia (lovely camping down there, by the way). I've yet to try their beef (it's in the freezer waiting for a special occasion), but he always has chicken & duck eggs too. When the squirrels raid my chicken coop and I run low, I run to Bob!
No comments:
Post a Comment