Market value

On a cold morning, it might be tempting to stay in bed rather than heading out to one of Sacramento’s four year-round farmers’ markets (www.california-grown.com). I asked market coordinator Dan Best why we should keep patronizing farmers’ markets in winter:

1. “Saving farmland is a year-round job. When you’re shopping at a certified farmers’ market, you’re buying directly from farmers, and all the money goes back to the farm—there’s no middle person.”

2. “You’re eating what’s in season. Nature really gives you a lot of what you need in season—all your citrus have Vitamin C, and your winter-crop vegetables, like broccoli. It’s probably what you need at this time of year in relation to the weather.”

3. “There’s this core of individuals that go to the farmers’ market, and that gathering of the community is so important. It’s very special that people will come out on a Sunday morning, in the cold and wind, and talk to the farmers when you can see their breath. We as … the Sacramento community are in competition for farmers with the Bay Area. If they have the support here, they won’t leave a bird in the hand to seek two birds in the city—support of the farmers coming to Sacramento markets is critical.”