I've discovered farmers markets! (Los Angeles, Sacramento: how much, neighborhoods, buying)

[Sacman]

Not only can you find the best prices ... they are the freshness, and therefore, best tasting and healthiest.

Farmers markets sell mostly local produce, which means more likely to be:

* tree ripened
* just picked
* uncontaminated

My favorite, and biggest by far, is Denio's in Roseville. It's different every week(selection , organic options, price).

You do have to search for the organic (look for the '9' as the first # on the sticker) (or "Organic")
A couple weeks ago was the best week for organic mangos yet - 50 cents each! Organic Cantaloupe was .50-$1 each. (By mid-Sunday, the heat has ripened or rotted some of it. Ripe fruit sells cheaper since people avoid them, but its perfectly healthy and natural.

This weeks' Organics were:

* Honeydew melon - $1.50 each (large 6 pound);
* Strawberries - $1 a pound
* and apples - 3 pounds for $1

I"m saving $100 a month per person buying at Denio's instead of a supermarket. That makes the $3 parking (Sat & Sun) seem like nothing.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Sacman

Not only can you find the best prices ... they are the freshness, and therefore, best tasting and healthiest.

Farmers markets sell mostly local produce, which means more likely to be:

* tree ripened
* just picked
* uncontaminated

My favorite, and biggest by far, is Denio's in Roseville. It's different every week(selection , organic options, price).

You do have to search for the organic (look for the '9' as the first # on the sticker) (or "Organic")
A couple weeks ago was the best week for organic mangos yet - 50 cents each! Organic Cantaloupe was .50-$1 each. (By mid-Sunday, the heat has ripened or rotted some of it. Ripe fruit sells cheaper since people avoid them, but its perfectly healthy and natural.

This weeks' Organics were:

* Honeydew melon - $1.50 each (large 6 pound);
* Strawberries - $1 a pound
* and apples - 3 pounds for $1

I"m saving $100 a month per person buying at Denio's instead of a supermarket. That makes the $3 parking (Sat & Sun) seem like nothing.

We used to go to the Roseville market in the mid 70s. I don't know if it the same one, but oh, how much we saved. We have lots of farmers markets here in AR, the problem, many times the produce isn's cheap, fresh yes..

Nita

[Morwyn_7]

I love Farmer's markets. For me it is a combination of the fresh veggies and fruit but also the atmosphere of it all. I tend to prefer the smaller ones though given a choice. I used to like going up to the Saturday morning market in Auburn, but alas had to forgo that as I now work on the weekends.

Davis has a pretty nice one as well.

Nita Denio's in Roseville is probably the one you remember.

[bigdave01]

I love Denios.

[wburg]

Originally Posted by nmnita

We used to go to the Roseville market in the mid 70s. I don't know if it the same one, but oh, how much we saved. We have lots of farmers markets here in AR, the problem, many times the produce isn's cheap, fresh yes..

Nita

It's the same one--a lot of the decorations around Denio's have been around at least since the seventies! The main difference is that in the seventies and eighties, Denio's was in the middle of a big open valley, the only sign of nearby civilization was the railroad yards. Today, the railroad yard is still there but it is completely surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. Lots of memories out that way.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by wburg

It's the same one--a lot of the decorations around Denio's have been around at least since the seventies! The main difference is that in the seventies and eighties, Denio's was in the middle of a big open valley, the only sign of nearby civilization was the railroad yards. Today, the railroad yard is still there but it is completely surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. Lots of memories out that way.

Thanks, I had heard Roseville had taken off and grown like crazy and picked that up from city data as well. Yes, it was in the middle of nowhere. Other than the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles, the farmers market in Roseville was the first we had ever seen. Even the Grand Central was a little different.

The one thing I remember the most from the one in Roseville: Green Beans for a dime a lb (I know, it was many moons ago) I told the gal I would take 20 lbs (we love to eat green beans and I was going to freeze them) anyway she convinced me 20 lbs would be a hell of a lot. I settled for 10 lbs, it was a hell of a lot. We ate green beans all winter..

Nita

[Curmudgeon]

There are smaller farmers markets almost every weekday in downtown Sacramento and a large, two block market under the W-X Freeway every Sunday. They're great.

One of the weekday markets was/still is held in a block square park right across the street from my former office (I'm now retired). It's every Tuesday in-season and you certainly couldn't get anymore convenient.

We eat quite a few, strictly vegetarian meals by choice, three or four different veggies at a time, and being able to get them just-picked has been marvelous.

[kiwilover70]

The one under the freeway downtown is my favorite. We can go and spend 20 dollars and get bags of fresh fruit and vegies and flowers that are fresher than any in town. There is also a mostly asian/southeast asian market over 2 blocks on 6th(?)and broadway. They have a great selection of specialty vegies.

[nmnita]

The best part of the markets and yes, we have them here as well, things are so fresh they last forever in the fridge. I have baby carrots and I don't mean the kind you get in the bag, that we got 4 or 5 weeks ago, as well as white radishes. They are still in great shape.

Nita

[Sacman]

Originally Posted by Morwyn_7

the Saturday morning market in Auburn

I found their website, but they don't mention fruit. Do they have fruit? What are some examples of price?