One of our newer markets, the Redwood Empire Farmers Market in central Santa Rosa, features both long-time vendors familiar to us all and some new kids on the block, like Ludwig Farm, located on Ludwig Rd. in southeast Santa Rosa. Ludwig Farm’s specialties are inspired by southern crops; they currently [...]
On Sunday, eyes gazed upwards as a light drizzle blanketed the North Bay. “What about tomatoes?” we all wondered. Would the season end early this year, before we’d had our fill? I called Dan Magnuson, whose Soda Rock Farm tomatoes are praised by all who have tasted them. [...]
The hamlet of Freestone comes alive Sunday with "A Taste of Freestone" from 1 to 4 p.m. Freestone Artisan Cheese will offer samplings of Water Buffalo Gelato (from Di Bufala Dairy), Gypsy Rose Cheese and salad greens from the Bohemian Farmers' Collective, which will be gussied [...]
New Family Farm is one of Sonoma County’s few horse-powered agricultural endeavors. Farming partners Adam Davidoff and Ryan Power use five working-breed horses to prepare their fields sometime in May, after rainwater has receded, and the horses are used again to cultivate between rows of crops and to harvest potatoes. [...]
A bit south of the pretty little town of Occidental, in the forested hills that are increasingly cleared for vineyards, there is an oasis of history, a two-acre orchard of 200 apple trees and 100 pear trees. Yet Bella Ridge, as both the orchard and the region are [...]
As the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market settles into its second harvest season in its new location at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, it has hit its stride as the country’s central farmers market. During its 16-month tenure at the center, it has moved several times to [...]
As I surveyed the selections at the Canvas Ranch stall at the Santa Rosa Original farmers market last Saturday, I had to suppress a dance of joy when I saw little sacks of farro, an ancient grain sometimes known in North America as emmer. The ranch’s last two crops have [...]
After years of dreaming and months of planning, the Sebastopol Certified Farmers Market is launching a second day, a Thursday evening market in the town plaza. The new market will operate from 5 to 7:30 p.m. through October 31. The goal of the market is two-fold. First, management has long [...]
The Frates Rd. entrance to Green String Farms is lined with olive trees and rose bushes planted in wine barrels. The Adobe Rd. entrance takes you through fields of crops punctuated by trees, marigolds and other flowers, past a large chicken coop filled with happy laying hens and a few [...]
The Wednesday afternoon Healdsburg farmers market, which takes place from 3:30 to 6 p.m., is just what we need mid-week, when the bounty from weekend markets is running low. It’s a focused, no-nonsense market, with around a dozen vendors--not all attend every week--providing a huge array of seasonal produce, pastured [...]
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Have trouble remembering what’s in season when? Looking for a favorite recipe from the Seasonal Pantry or Pairing archives? Michele Anna Jordan, Press Democrat columnist, chef, teacher and author of almost 20 books, draws from 17 years of columns and articles for seasonal suggestions, recipes and menus and tips on exactly where to get the finest local foods at their peak moment. And, yes, she takes requests. Just name the dish or even a few of the ingredients and, like magic, you’ll find the recipe here in no time. Any questions related to ingredients, cooking, nutrition and eating are welcome.