Local Food: La Jolla Farmers' Market

La Jolla Open Aire Market
Sundays, 9AM-1PM

This Sunday morning found me wandering around the La Jolla Open Aire Market (situated in the playground of La Jolla Elementary on Girard Street), once again on the prowl for vendors with local, organic/sustainable products just as I did at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market last weekend. There were less choices and variability compared to Hillcrest, but I came across some familiar friends, and found some new ones worth mentioning. Certified organic out-of-towners Smit Orchards (Stockton) and Lone Oak Ranch (Reedly, CA) were prominently present, but if you're looking to support the local, organic/sustainable foodshed, here's what La Jolla has to offer you:

EGGS
Eben-Haezer Poultry Ranch (Ramona, CA). Eggs come from antibiotic-free, Veggie Pro-fed hens which are kept in pens (neither caged nor free-range). (This may or may not be what you consider sustainable, but I believe they are closer than the San Pasqual eggs that can be found over at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market.)

PRODUCE

Certified Organic:

Peterson Specialty Produce (Fallbrook, CA). They had raspberries as well as a nice spread of vegetables when I stopped by.

Sage Mountain Farms (Aguanga, CA). I often shop from these folks at the Hillcrest market and have enjoyed their varied selection. I learned that all their crops are watered by their own wells, which are at least 100 feet deep.

Pesticide-free:

Betty B's Ranch (Ramona, CA). All sorts of types of avocados and citrus
fruits that had me scrambling around for a sample of each! Had a nice photo
album of their farm that was fun to look through.

Carranza Fruit Farm (Valley Center, CA). As their name suggests, they grow
fruit, and have some of the rarer Mexican fruits. Owner Emilio Carranza told me
that he hopes to bring in a juicer this fall, and start selling fresh juice at
his booth. Yum!

A FINAL WORTHY MENTION

OLIVES & OLIVE OIL
Petrou Foods (San Diego, CA). What started as a way to take care of an exceptionally large harvest from their grove in La Jolla back in 1992 has now turned into a thriving business run by the charismatic George Petrou. Although a grove is still maintained here in San Diego, the olives and olive oil used in their products are actually grown near Chico. They offer one certified organic olive oil. This is worth a stop simply for the trivia you will learn from Mr. Petrou about Greeks and their ancient wisdom about olives. He's a true character!