Comments on: Locavore Los Angeles

By: stuffed

stuffed — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:34:59 +0000

With a little work and local knowledge even in OC one can do well as a locavore. As for South Coast Farms, they should be commended for struggling mightily against major odds. As you noted, their CSA is more “focused.” All of the ‘duce at their farmstand is organic and most of the year the majority comes from local farms.
For local meat in south OC-north SD
try http://www.homegrownmeats.com/

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:54:36 +0000

I am originally from Tustin and I used to shop at that farmer’s market all the time, and still do on breaks from school. I’d like to point out, even if this is an older article, that the market is on Wednesdays.

By: Green Bean

Green Bean — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:10:18 +0000

I grew up in Southern California. This post sure resonated with me. Some of my family still lives there and have made a few valiant but unsuccessful efforts to eat local. I always assumed it would be available out there. Guess I’m lucky I moved 7 miles north.

By: Joan

Joan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:29:27 +0000

Last year I tried to find a way to buy a CSA share for my son for a birthday present (at his request)and found the options surprisingly limited for North Hollywood. Since he doesn’t own a car, he couldn’t travel too far to pick it up. But, I was just so surprised given my assumptions about the climate, etc. We have many more (and less expensive) options in Portland. Ultimately, he has found a couple of farmer’s markets within a reasonable distance that he is enjoying. So, I have an appreciation of the difficulties you were having.

By: Post

Post — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:02:26 +0000

A divine post!

By: Will

Will — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:46:23 +0000

You guys in the Bay Area really are spoiled. My sister lives in San Francisco and I couldn’t believe it when she showed me the Ferry Building Market. All I can say is wow! A whole store dedicated completely to mushrooms?
Us foodies down here have to work a little harder, but we still get the job done. I live in Long Beach and do most of my shopping at the Alamitos Bay Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Though maybe only 25% of the produce is certified organic, most is grown without pesticides. We always have fresh seafood, free-range eggs, and grass fed bison available, and sometimes we get rarities like local chicken and mangoes. The mangoes I found last year came from a farm near the Salton Sea and were some of the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. Sunset did an interesting write up about them which you can read here: http://www.sunset.com/sunset/travel/article/0,20633,1643134,00.html.
I also found a great source for local sour cherries which I will do a write-up about soon.

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:38:45 +0000

Good sleuthing! At one point, I was going to make a “rape the land” salad with all the crops that used to grow in Orange (oranges, avocado, almonds, etc.) but never got around to it.

To j gold above, I’d argue that The OC is much more difficult than LA. I was fortunate enough to live next to the Irvine farmer’s market, which really does have lovely veggies, especially Asian ones, but I’d rely on the Persian market down the road (Wholesome Choice) for vegetables that were worth eating the rest of the week. Meat, who knows? Dairy, heck no. Other stuff? Not so much.

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:54:15 +0000

We in Northern California don’t know how good we’ve got it!

By: RebeccaC

RebeccaC — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:15:17 +0000

I admire your committment but am exhausted just hearing about it!

By: Jennifer Jeffrey

Jennifer Jeffrey — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:16:33 +0000

This is kind of like a grown-up version of “Where’s Waldo?” – only the striped-shirted one has been replaced with local food.

Fun to a degree, but rather sad too, when you consider that most people simply won’t put that degree of effort in. Nor should they have to – get on your game, SoCal!

So glad you blogged about it – more stories like this might stimulate the locavore movement down south.