Question about the Alemany FM

[susancinsf]

The thread elsewhere on the board about Gilroy garlic got me thinking:

I was at Alemany Saturday and at least one stall did have garlic: the very large stall that is on the far west end of the market and runs basically perpendicular to the two lines of stalls that make up the bulk of the market. I've looked for a name on that stall, and if there is one, I haven't been able to find it (but then, I do tend to go there early and often still in pre-caffiene-kicking-in-haze).

Anyway, my question is this: I've always wondered about the variety of different produce at that stall: they have almost as many different types of produce as my local Safeway (at lower prices): everything from stone fruit to melons to apples to lettuce to eggplant to onions to potatoes to brocolli and cauliflower to garlic...well, you get the idea. However, I was under the impression that Certified Farmer's Markets is a Market where "approved by the county agricultural commissioner where certified farmers offer for sale only those agricultural products they grow themselves."

(Quote from the California Federation of Certified Farmer's Markets website which lists Alemeny as a member):

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/about...

So, would 'Gilroy garlic' that is actually grown in China but processed in Gilroy count as local under that definition? If not, it appears to me that you can buy truly locally grown garlic at Alemany almost all the time (seems like they often have it).

Does the stand really grow all that stuff on one farm or are they a produce resaler? If they are a resaler, how do they fit under the CFM defintion? Anyone know the scoop?

By the way, my report: I was at the Market mostly on a quest for stone fruit and tomatoes; two items not a part of my CSA box. The tomatoes just aren't quite cutting it for me yet...Sigh: I think I have to head up to Glen Ellen and see if my father's are ripe yet in his personal garden (it really is too bad I hate to garden since I never seem to find tomatoes that meet my standards even at farmers markets...but then, my backyard in Bernal probably hasn't gotten enough sun for tomatoes this year). However, there are some good peaches right now. My favorites are from the one stand that is selling Clings (sorry, forgot the name, on the side closer to the freeway, only one stand had Clings Saturday). I am a sucker for Clings, and they were excellent (keep in mind that I prefer my peaches to be somewhat firm, though still ripe). There was also a stand on that side selling Kadota figs; the stand worker said next week would be the last week for those so keep an eye out. Finally, the blueberries (from the Apple Hill area) looked great but weren't quite ready imo; maybe in another few weeks.

Anyway, I digress, sort of, and look forward to any feedback about how one stand can have such a variety.

[rworange]

Locally grown garlic is common at many farmers markets. Small Potatoes, a former Ferry Plaza vendor had a lot of different varieties. I got some Chinese pink garlic and Polish garlic from Rose Lane at the Sunday Martinez farmers market. That Polish garlic was so strong for a while I was worried about it burning a hole through my tummy. In the spring some sell garlic scapes - the tops of certain varieties of garlic.

Rose Lane also had some nice cherry tomatoes that were flavorful. The only other tomato that was decent so far this year is Peach Farm's Copia.

If you ever see Indian peaches give one a try. Very fuzzy and beautifully streaked with red.

There are so many stands that sell the variety of produce you mention. I don't see anything odd about it.

[Windy]

I think it must be Mellows' Farms:

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M3507

[Candice]

I was there this weekend too and found two smaller stands selling "new crop" garlic. It's very fresh and both were selling it for $2/lb. Both stands were East Asian with some other East Asian vegetable offerings. I guess you would call their location the NW side of the main center aisle.

I spend my weeks in Davis and have noticed that the tomatoes are really starting to come in there more than in SF at the farmer's markets. I think we'll start seeing more within a few weeks.

[Robert Lauriston]

The point of the California Department of Agriculture certification program is to ensure that fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables, shell eggs, honey, nursery stock, and cut flowers sold at certified markets come from California, so no, they can't legally sell Chinese garlic.

In certain situations, certified farmers may also sell the products of other certified farmers.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/i_&_c/c...

[Dave MP]

That stand is also at the Civic Center Farmer's Market on Wednesdays and Sundays. I have wondered about this too.

I got great nectarines last week at Alemany, also on the side closer to the freeway, though now I forget where. I think they were also the cling variety, which a slit down the side of the nectarine.

I agree about tomatoes being not quite ready yet - I haven't had any amazingly sweet ones yet, with the exception of some of the sun gold cherry tomatoes, which are already sweet. I sampled some of the yellow grape tomatoes at both Alemany and Ferry Building, and they weren't very sweet yet.

[Ruth Lafler]

Just a note to clarify that "cling" is a type of peach, and not a "variety" of peach. There are many varieties of both "cling" and "freestone" peaches.

[susancinsf]

the ones I got were identified just as 'cling', were very yellow as opposed to orange. Any idea what variety that would be?

[Ruth Lafler]

Nope. I don't even like peaches. I saw a lot of "cling" peaches at the Jack London Square FM this weekend. My sense is that unless the farmer planted the orchard himself, a lot of them simply don't know what the specific variety is. One guess is that "cling" peaches come from orchards that had mostly been (and maybe still are) sold for canning until farmers have realized they can make more money selling fewer peaches directly to consumers. I don't think canneries pay anywhere near the $2-4 dollars a pound I saw peaches going for this weekend!

[susancinsf]

I like the taste of the clings, I think there is a floral edge there that is missing from some of the other varieties. will have to check out JLS if they have more than Alemeny. Although perhaps Alemeny is somewhat cheaper: most of the stands had peaches for $1.50 a pound.

[Ruth Lafler]

Okay, I poked around some more, and it seems that there's a variety of peach called the California cling peach (it's not clear, but although the California Cling Peach Board refers to it as a variety, it seems that it may be a descriptive name that comprises more than one "clingstone" cultivar grown in Californa). I was correct in guessing that up until recently they've rarely been sold fresh and were almost entirely used for canning.

Here's the scoop from the California Cling Peach Board: http://www.calclingpeach.com/html/nav...