I stopped by the Farmer’s Market in Valencia (in the Santa Clarita Valley) just to see what it looked like, and to take some pictures. It has a swap meet look to it and the farmers are friendly.
One of the farmers I talked to — Jack of Jack’s Fruit — told me that his fruit is not certified organic, but it’s natural. He doesn’t use pesticides in the ground or on his trees. He says that he works in his trees every day and he "doesn’t want to come down with anything" (meaning get poisoned). Very practical.
Next week when I go back, I’ll need to ask more questions, such as:
- Are any of these farmers selling Genetically Modified food?
- Do they use chemical fertilizers?
- Is there something they do that causes them not to be able to have the organic certification?
All in all, it was hopeful. I would buy natural fruits and veggies. You know, plain old food, even if it couldn’t be certified as organic because of a technicality, or because they don’t want to jump through the hoops of obtaining an organic certification. I would definitely reach into my wallet!
As an aside, I got there a little after they opened and there were plenty of people buying fruits and vegetables, flowers and other things. My guess is these farmers sell out pretty fast.
I’m bringing cash next week.
George Vigil
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