Grand Lake Farmers Market

The BEST farmer's market anywhere, ever. It's year-round, in the heart of a residential area. I chose my apartment based on its proximity to this market. I can get almost all of my groceries there, including produce, meat, dairy, eggs, olive oil, soap, fresh flowers, and specialty things like olive walnut tapenade. I even got my favorite bag there (thanks Colleen Keenan! Miss you!) And I'll almost always run into multiple friends and acquaintances along the way, which is a nice feeling. Some standout vendors: Happy Boy--fabulous produce (tomatoes! potatoes! snap peas! zucchini blossoms! salad greens with nasturtiums! etc!) sold by the most outrageously adorable, charming queer folk; County Line--extra special greens and different surprise offerings weekly, and very sweet folks; Prather Ranch--what's not to love about this grass-fed, pastured meat operation (which now distributes Soul Food Farm eggs, too); Tomatero Farms--*WONDEROUS* eggs and great produce, three varieties of strawberries in summer, flowers, and very sweet folks; Spring Hill Jersey for the *BEST* cheese and butter, and again, very sweet folks; Cowgirl Creamery--a good complement to Spring Hill Jersey with very different, equally yummy cheese offerings; Twin Girls--amazingly delicious fruit and pomegranate juice, super sweet people; Kawahashi--more amazingly delicious fruit all summer long, and yeah, they're extra nice, too; the lilac stand; Lagier almonds; Solano Mushroom; Rubber Ducky Soap Co (who now make tallow soaps from Marin Sun Farms tallow!). I am gluten intolerant and sugar free, but according to my friends who ain't, Charlie Frank's sweet potato peach pie is phenomenal (and by the smell of it, I believe them). There are also many other kinds of prepared foods on offer, live music, picnic areas, a massage operation, folks tabling for the master gardener program, kids from the Ella Baker Center hawking CDs and raising consciousness, and a seedling stand with very knowledgeable staff. It makes me feel so excited to see the stands go up each Saturday morning and watch this amazing bazaar of wonders spring into being. It makes me feel like a happy little kid. I LOVE this market!!