For a city girl gone country, the draw of farmers markets wasn’t initially apparent. But two things collided that changed everything. First, a near-religious experience with a cookie and, second, the research phase of my snout-to-tail article: “Whole Hog” [July 2011]. The latter necessitated digging deep into the world of heritage breed hogs and thereby exposing the underbelly of factory-farmed meat. Consequently, my eating habits have forever changed, which led me to the St. Helena Farmers Market. In New York, I traversed though rain and snow to obtain guilty pleasures such as a peanut butter cookie from City Bakery. My obsession with this culinary dough drop once resulted in a sprained ankle when I raced to fetch a cookie on my way to the train station. And yes, it was worth it, the cookie is that good. Luckily, I no longer have to risk bodily harm to find tasty bites—they’re right here in the community.
During my first jaunt to the St. Helena’s market, I discovered a peanut butter cookie made by Annie the Baker (aptly named Annie Baker) that rivaled the New York rendition. I soon learned there were many more delights to be found at each one of the Napa County farmers markets.
For Baker, the market became less about a religious food experience and more about jumpstarting her business, which launched nearly four years ago, at the Napa and St. Helena markets. “I originally did [the farmers market] to introduce my product. It’s a great place to test market,” says Baker. While we consumers love to sink our teeth into the fresh wares the market bears, for small businesses, farmers markets are a means of survival and success. “Retail space in this town is outrageous, between rent and overhead. The market was a great way to get out there and see if this [cookie] was a product people would like.” Apparently I’m not the only addict of Baker’s bites, as the gooey delights sell out early at each of the three markets where she participates. Not only are markets responsible for launching small businesses, they’re a catalyst for expanding them. In Baker’s case, she went from offering four cookie flavors to selling 13 different varieties (with more to follow). As a direct result of the market, she’s placed her products in more than 10 retail outlets including such high-traffic outposts as Dean & Deluca, Sunshine Foods and V Marketplace.
The camaraderie that builds organically between market vendors and customers is just more sugar on top of an already sweet deal. Lassa Skinner, who first managed the St. Helena market and now serves as president of the board of directors for the Napa Farmers Market, shares, “Markets let us get incredibly close to food producers, which, to me, is the heart of everything. Not only the farmers, but the people setting up to incubate new businesses. We buy our food from places that are very respectable, yes, but there’s nothing like buying it directly from the farmers. In getting to know them, it creates a tight community and gathering spot. Nothing else can replace that.”
Scrutiny of mass-produced meats and less-than-organically grown produce has made farmers markets more necessity than luxury. “People are becoming aware of the food they eat and where it comes from,” says Ed Smith, manager of the St. Helena market. As consumers, not only do we reap the benefits of higher-quality products, but we also get to meet the people producing them. Smith continues to say that more than 80 percent of local chefs buy their produce from his market. If it’s good enough for them, why not us?
Some argue that price points make markets cost prohibitive for some residents in the community. Skinner counters the argument: “Napa has a different mix of people who come and go. We’re really big on making sure we’re accessible to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) [part of the national food stamps organization]. As a result, we have the potential to be more user-friendly to a wider group of people. We have clients who are going to Oxbow as well as workers in the fields. We try hard to have a mix of specialty vendors and farmers so anyone with different needs and pocketbooks can be happy here.” In addition to SNAP, the Napa market sponsors the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
Some of the markets differentiate themselves by offering educational experiences like Napa’s children’s reading days and St. Helena’s market classroom, which offers mini food and nutrition lessons for children and biweekly chef demonstrations for adults.
Country confounds
While farmers markets serve our neighborhoods regularly, other community organizations seem to be a little light in the “service” department. A historical society is an organization dedicated to heightening awareness for local, historical gems. Or so one would think. While researching another article, whose main purpose was to celebrate and recognize longstanding historical buildings in Napa County, I was referred to the St. Helena Historical Society four times. Not one to disappoint a majority rule, I reached out to an established member of the group, eager to soak up some lesser-known historical facts and lore. The response I received: “You mean you’d like us to give out our research, to you?” Call me thick, but isn’t the point of a historical society to educate the public and help promote our landmarks? Apparently not so much.
While not all organizations are serving up hometown hospitality, your local markets from Napa to Calistoga are. Get on out there and take the season’s first bite.
