We love farmers' markets. It's a guaranteed destination for any traveling that we do and originally started off as just research for an ongoing "Finding Farmers' Markets" series for Orange County. These markets have seen a revival due to the increased interest people have in where their food comes from and finding the freshest they can get. Where better than from the source? When we traveled to Durham recently, we just had to schedule time for one and despite the on-and-off rain, the Durham Farmers' Market on Saturday morning was still open. Though small, the essentials were present and the people mightily friendly!

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

The moment I looked up the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market in San Francisco a handful of years ago, I fell in love with the well-known event. The building itself is home to a culinary adventure on a daily basis but once the farmers' market is in full swing, a whole day could be spent there indulging in the treasures and pleasures for one's palate. Not only are modern-day treats available but there is also much history in the Ferry Building which was built upon the 1875 wooden Ferry House. Originally a hub for train travelers and ferryboat passengers, the building experienced the hubbub of masses of people and with its turnover in present-day to a gourmand's playpen, still faces it today. I had visited on my first trip with Duc to San Francisco but came back again on my next visit to The City by the Bay with much, much excitement.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

It's been a little while since our last "Finding Farmers' Markets" post but the weekends have been absolutely nuts lately! Not sure when the next in the series will happen but let's take a look at Costa Mesa today. I clearly remember the South Coast Collection (SoCo) farmers' market from their "Farm to Food Truck Challenge" years ago which was the very first time I had even been in that parking lot space for an event. Located in Costa Mesa, tucked away from major streets but visible from the 405 freeway, SoCo has quickly been gaining ground as a food hot spot in Orange County. It is also home to the infamous OC Mix, residence to multiple well-known and talented vendors. The farmers' market itself has shrunk over the years but there are still some pickings you can get your hands on (sorry but food trucks haven't been there for a year or so now)!

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

We should have foreseen the glaringly obvious issue we would run into as we covered more and more farmers' markets - they change with the seasons. Why didn't I think of that? As we hop around every weekend seeking out the ones in different cities, we should also be paying attention to what the weather and land will be governing for the markets. Both you (the reader) and I should also be aware that farmers' markets change quite rapidly aside from their vendors available who flow in and out with the seasons. Duc and I went back to the farmers' market located at the Great Park which is open on Sundays from 10am to 2pm after not having gone for a few months, and the set-up had completely changed. The vendors were still great (those who were present) but there was a marked difference in the layout and even the number of available stands.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

Social media has become such a strong part of our lives so when a farmers' market takes to the networks to announce its return, there is no doubt of success whether niche or not. Downtown Santa Ana, also known as DTSA, seemed to be well-connected to every other food-loving person I knew online so once word got out that a farmers' market was cropping up again, word really got out. The DTSA Farmers' Market is not only in the heart of the burgeoning hip food scene of Santa Ana (located in Spurgeon Promenade) but it is the home of several artisan food makers and produce-slingers that have already built a name for themselves outside of the market. Perhaps that's why I've been hearing so much about it - everyone else involved is tweeting/Facebook/Instagramming about it too. I finally had a free Thursday one day and ventured my way through DTSA to see what there was to rave about.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

Both Duc and I grew up in Garden Grove (but didn't know each other in childhood) so the city has held a special place in our hearts. As we've grown up to see its unique characteristics, we appreciate the city more and more aside from its familiarity. When I was in high school, I volunteered at the Garden Grove Farmers' Market during its initial days but then it dissolved for a few months for some reason. I didn't go back for a long while until last year when I saw that they were going strong with this weekly Sunday market on Historic Main Street. It was small back then but these days, the market is still small but has more specialty booths including some vendors that will now be our go-tos.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

For the past month or two months, I kept seeing a lighted construction sign on my drive to work that said Fountain Valley had a farmers' market on Thursdays from 5-8pm at Mile Square Park. Curious as to why there would be such a blatant sign blinking at all drivers every moment of the day and night, I found out that this is a new development for the city of Fountain Valley. A trial run of a farmers market to last for four months (started May 1st), this gathering of vendors is a way for the city to join the other 21 certified farmers' markets in Orange County in providing their community with fresh fruits and vegetables. We just had to stop by one Thursday to see how well this (somewhat) inaugural farmers' market run was doing.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

If only we lived in Portland, we'd be able to go to what is now doubtlessly our favorite farmers' market to date. There are several farmers' markets that grace the city of Portland but the particular one we visited was at Portland State University. You might blame the clean air and gorgeous greenery around us for why I would pick it as a favorite but you'd have to rescind that accusation once you realized the vast abundance of this Saturday market. A robust gathering of more than 250 vendors all over Oregon and southwest Washington, this Portland Farmers' Market is impressive and jealousy-inducing.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

If I had to be truly honest, I must confess that I did not even know that Laguna Hills was a city in Orange County until after I applied to where I work now. Based on the name, I figured it would be near Laguna Beach (it is) but I did not know it even existed. A small-ish city that borders Irvine, Laguna Hills is not known for much other than a lot of retired folks live in the area. When I found out it too had a farmers' market that was on a weekday, I decided I ought to check it out during my lunch break. Situated in the parking lot of the Laguna Hills Mall behind Sears, the farmers' market is not very large but it does have a bit of everything you might need. This market runs on Fridays from 9am-1pm and is a good spot for picking up some things for the weekend that you might have forgotten to grab.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

They say, "It takes a village." I wonder if they could also mean it takes a [Lido Marina] village to raise a healthy child. We ventured out to Newport Beach to see what their Sunday farmers' market was like (held 9am-1pm) and were surprised to see such a short street of few tents in the quaint area. The signs were plentiful on the way into the area, adorning street medians and showing where exactly visitors could park. Banners proclaiming it to be a Certified Farmers' Market waved proudly in the morning breeze, and the perk of getting parking validated for free with purchase made the parking structure seem less daunting. We weren't expecting to find such a small farmers' market in Newport Beach but I suppose we also did not know what to expect. This one certainly goes to show that quantity does not trump quality whatsoever.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

The more we explore farmers' markets in Orange County, the more frequently I'll get the question about which is the best one around. It is a difficult question to properly answer though. We have been finding that what we expected was coming true as we visit farmers' markets - they all have something they excel at. However, if you really want to emphasize on produce in both variety and abundance, I highly encourage that you drop by the Irvine Certified Farmers' Market across the street from UCI (in the University Town Center "UTC"). Not only is it quite possibly the largest in OC with 115+ vendors, it also has the biggest variety of produce we've see. I definitely know that I have to come to this one if I'm looking for a particular fruit or vegetable. Chances are that I'll find it at this market.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

The Buena Park Downtown Local Harvest Farmers' Market is located in the parking lot of Orange County's 20th largest mall, the Buena Park Mall (also one of the first malls in the county, built in 1961). The market commences every Saturday from 9AM-2PM with a sizable number of vendors from Certified California Grown Fruits and Vegetables farms to gourmet specialty food vendors to arts and crafts creators to even cooked fare vendors. We have been to this market twice now and every time, have discovered something to love about the vendors that are there on those visits.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

Founded on May 5, 1991, the Hollywood Farmers' Market is one of the oldest in California and by attrition, one of the most bountiful in farmers and producers. We ventured to the market in search of unique produce and mushrooms and came away with more than we thought we would purchase. This outdoor street market tends to every grocery need from fruits and vegetables to james and jellies to meat and fish to even prepared foods and nifty crafts. When it was first founded, it easily became a hit for being the perfect congregation spot for farmers in the area to those further north and south that needed a central location to share their wares - Los Angeles was perfect for that. We entered from one end but realized that it branched out into four directions with long-stretching arms, and it is no surprise that they claim to have more than 160 specialists who are farmers, producers, artisans, and so forth. The local community love the market as do chefs, and for most, it is their weekly food source instead of big box grocery retailers.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

Every week, I look forward to my e-newsletter ("The Juice") from the Orange Home Grown Farmers' Market which tells me who their upcoming Featured Farmer and Featured Artisan are that Saturday at the small but savvy farmers' market. An intense list of events and fundraisers is also sent over, a tribute to how robust the market aims to be and an example of how this community is spoiled by the passion in people. Situated near Chapman University in the corrugated metal Historic Villa Park Orchards Packinghouse (VPO) lot, the Orange Home Grown Farmers' Market takes place every Saturday from 9AM-1PM (rain or shine!) in a location that begs no fanfare but still invites passersby in with the buzzing activity and bright signage. The VPO lot itself with its historic ties to agriculture is quite the apt location for a "buying local" market and gives character to the buildings towering above the vendor booths. The distribution of vendors makes the market seem small but upon further inspection, you'll see that there are more than enough high-quality vendors to finish off your week's shopping list with a farmer-centric side and an artisan section. We really quite enjoyed browsing all of the booths and seeing just what specials were out that day.