Local Food
Status of Lafayette Farmers
Market: On December 14th, The City Council
approved a contract with the Contra Costa Certified
Farmers Market for a market that will run from May
through September 2010. Thanks to everyone that helped
make this happen! Download the presentation given to
the City Council on Nov. 9th (PDF - 5.3 Mbytes). View photos from the
trial farmers market. If you have any questions or
suggestions please send them to localfood@sustainablelafayette.net.
The Urban Farmers - Pilot in
Lafayette: Many of us in Lafayette have yard
space to grow veggies, but not the time or
expertise. There is a new non-profit called The
Urban Farmers (www.theurbanfarmers.org) which aims
to farm your backyard for you. You supply the
land and water and they supply the labor and
expertise. All you need is 300+ square feet of
growing space. You receive all the food you can
eat and the excess is distributed to neighbors and
charities. They are running a pilot in 2010 with
20 families (already selected) and aiming to help
residents plant 1000 heirloom fruit
trees!! Send an email to inquiries@theurbanfarmers.org or
call (415) 806-7005.
Neighborhood Food
Sharing: Amy Geacan is trying to promote
neighborhood food sharing events through a new web site called
hyperlocavore, and recently held an event in Happy
Valley on June 28th with many families participating
and sharing food. You can contact Amy at the
following email: amy@greacen.com
New Book: Earth-Friendly Food
Chain: One of our board members, Linda
Riebel, recently published a new book called the
"Earth-Friendly Food Chain" that covers everything you
need to know to become an earth-friendly eater.
Learn more about it...
Eater's Guide to Local
Food: In June, The Buy Fresh Buy Local
campaign published the 2009 Eater's Guide to Local
Food, the Bay Area's most complete resource for
finding and enjoying local, sustainable foods at
restaurants, retailers, farmers markets, and
farms. View the press release. View a PDF of the guide which is
also available for free at Diablo Foods.
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Resources to help you find locally grown food around Lamorinda...
Local Farmer's Markets:
Lafayette Farmers Market - starting in May 2010 on Thursday evenings from 4-8pm at the downtown Plaza Park.
Moraga Farmer's Market - open every Sunday from 9-1pm all year.
Walnut Creek Farmer's Market - open every Sunday from 8-1pm all year.
Orinda Farmer's Market - open every Saturday from 9-1pm from May through November.
Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets
Local CSAs (buy a share in a local farm - try it and you'll get hooked!):
With a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) you buy a share in a local farm and then receive boxes of just-picked, organic, seasonal produce to your door or a central location.
Eatwell Farms (Dixon) - They offer a great variety of fruits and vegetables year-round. Organic pasture-raised egg shares are also offered. You can choose to receive a box every week or every-other week and can postpone boxes when you go on vacation. Box contains 9-12 items, each with a portion for 2-5 people. Pickup location is at the Lafayette Health Club.
Eat Outside the Box (Walnut Creek) - Members pick up their shares in Lafayette near Celia's. The shares are not individually packed. Farmers deliver in wholesale boxes and members weigh and pack their own shares at pick up. This CSA is unique because the shares are supplied by Brentwood organic growers, right in Contra Costa County!
Frog Hollow Farm - Happy Child CSA (Brentwood) - This is a CSA that just delivers organic fruit and has a drop-off in Lafayette. You can also order many of their products through their web site.
Farm Fresh To You (Capay, CA) - This is a very large CSA (800 customers) with delivery to your doorstep, all over the Bay Area, and many options. You can quit at any time. They integrate produce from other farms and states - so the box you receive is mostly, but not completely from their farm.
Planet Organics - This is a large weekly organic produce and grocery delivery service that is very popular around the Bay Area. They have a sophisticated web site and relationships with organic producers all over California vs. a CSA representing a specific family farm.
Local Harvest and the Ecology Center have longer lists of CSAs that serve the East Bay, but many do not deliver to the Lafayette area.
Hurst Farms at 716 St. Mary's Road (across from Little League Fields) - has great organic produce from mid summer through fall. Stop in when the signs are out showing what food is available.
Grocery Stores with Local/Organic Produce:
Diablo Foods - has a great selection of organic and local produce, including a mini-farmers market in front of the store! Read an article about all the local foods offered by Diablo.
Chows - they have a small, but high quality organic produce section. They steer strongly towards what's in season and sometimes you'll find unique items that are in season. The produce is mostly from California, sometimes more local.
Open Sesame - a very overlooked produce section with a wide selection of organic items from California at affordable prices.
Whole Foods - opening in summer 2010!
Growing Your Own Food:
Planning Your Vegetable Garden by Master Gardener's of Santa Clara County
Learn about raising chickens from Papa John who’s been doing it for 40 years
Produce That's in Season:
Vegetable Calendar by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture
Local Community Gardens:
Moraga Community Garden - provides organic produce to some local restaurants, including Il Postinos. Contact Bill Durkin (sustainablemoraga@yahoo.com) for more information.
Books:
Earth-Friendly Food Chain: One of our board members, Linda Riebel, recently published a new book called the "Earth-Friendly Food Chain" that covers everything you need to know to become an earth-friendly eater.
Videos:
The True Cost of Food - The Sierra Club has put together a great educational video about the True Cost of Food - when you include environmental costs
Other Resources:
Edible East Bay - Celebrating the abundance of local food in the East Bay
Contra Costa Local Food Guide hosted by the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust
Buy Fresh Buy Local by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Locavores - We are a group of concerned culinary adventurers who are making an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100 mile radius of San Francisco for an entire month
Local Harvest - find farmers' markets, family farms, CSAs, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area
Eat Local page by National Resources Defense Council, including what's in season. Read their study about the environmental costs of importing food into California.
This web page was prepared by the Sustainable Lafayette Local Food Committee, which shares ideas using a Google group.
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