Address: All Santa Monica Farmers Markets are open rain or shine – year round!
Wednesdays – At 2nd and Arizona 8:30am – 1:30pm
Saturdays – At 3rd and Arizona 8:30am – 1 pm
Saturdays – At Virginia Ave. Park 8am – 1pm
Sundays – At 2640 Main Street 9:30am – 1 pm
Contact: 310-458-8712 ext. 2 (ask for Darra Adler), smgov.net/farmers_market/
Review via Maureen Whitehouse
Simply put, it doesn’t get any better than this. Imagine stand after stand of farmers with big smiles, wide-open hearts and the dirt from last night’s pick (which they’re selling today) still under their fingernails. Row after row of eye-poping, organic, pesticide-free, sustainably grown produce.
On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, throngs of tuned-in food enthusiasts, including not only LA town folk but (often celebrity) chefs, browse the goodies available from the small scale, quality-obsessed farmers at the famed downtown Santa Monica’s farmers’ market. Friendly and knowledgeable vendors (many of them are the farmers’ family members) are happy to explain the difference between a pluot and a plum (a puot is ½ plum, ½ apricot) and why their Cabbage is better than any found at a supermarket.
The sights and smells—fresh cut flowers, aromatic herbs and spices gigantic, fresh from the ground, tree or vine produce alert shoppers to the high-quality standards of these dedicated growers. For first-timers I’d suggest strolling this market, perusing each stand if possible before buying anything. Many vendors set out samples, but if you don’t see any, request a taste of whatever you’re most interested in. Chances are good you’ll find yourself stumbling across some varieties of fruits and vegetables you’ve never even heard of, let alone seen before. Once you get the lay of the land, and have filled your senses to the brim, then go back and make your purchases from the vendors you resonate with most. Don’t be surprised if they offer you a recipe, storage or preparation tip along with your acquisition. That’s when it dawns on you that this is far from the end of the fulfillment found in this experience – it’s just the beginning, heading straight to your own kitchen. This one Soul-Full experience you do not want to miss!
*Fun Fact: The first LA County Farmer’s Market opened in 1979 in Gardena. It was a Saturday morning market, consisting of four stands. Interfaith Hunger Coalition sponsored it in the parking lot of a church. Today there are over 300 certified farmer’s markets in California.
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