I took a private tour of the Rodriguez' family ranch on Sunday morning. Farmer Manuel Rodriguez…read morewas kind enough to take time out from his busy schedule to allow a small group of visitors to take a walking tour within a small part of his 35 acre ranch nestled in the rich farmlands of Watsonville. The Rodriguez family operates three ranches in California harvesting organic and conventional produce. Most of their produce is sold at farmers markets throughout California. On this morning Manuel greeted our group in front of his home and opened up the doors to his home to allow our tour group to use his family's restroom. Mostly known for his strawberries Manuel walked our group over to organic strawberry field # 4 and gave us a brief description of the two types of strawberries that are grown here. Albions are generally darker in color both to the inside of the fruit as well as the outside. We were told these berries are extremely popular because they are normally sweeter than any of the other strawberry varieties. Seascapes are better known for their rich strawberry flavor and the fact that they grow to be larger than the other varieties. Manuel extended an invitation to everybody in our tour group to walk upon his fields, pick berries to sample and return to him with any questions. In this photo (http://static4.px.yelp.com/bphoto/vKyIC6C7UY1GCqMkKTxipg/l) I've picked a Seascape on the left and an Albion on the right for the ultimate taste test. While the Albion was definitely sweeter I found the Seascape more to my liking with a slightly tart flavor and a juicier fruit. I really enjoyed picking and sampling the big, glistening berries warmed by the sun as most members of our group did. In addition to the strawberries we were allowed to walk freely upon the organic raspberry bushes (http://static3.px.yelp.com/bphoto/JGNX8Nsn9WieLVaj-Zr0Qg/l). Most of the raspberries were not ripe enough to pick yet. There are two varieties as well with a red berry and a white berry. I sampled a single red fruit and it was extremely sour. Swarms of bees pollinate in the raspberry bushes, but we were told that the bees keep to themselves. Regardless I walked gingerly along the bushes taking photos among the hundreds (thousands?) of bees buzzing around me. On this visit we learned about crop varieties, fertilization, market trends and farm life. Two other crops that we were made aware of were the finger potatoes (http://static1.px.yelp.com/bphoto/L2jm8H_9Q3to067fUkigJg/l) and the artichokes. Both are also organic on this farm. As our group reassembled to depart for our next destination, Manuel Rodriguez expressed his generosity once again by giving everybody in our tour group a half crate of Seascape strawberries (http://static3.px.yelp.com/bphoto/RtDSRgfiZWBdBwCi7cWJ1A/l) and artichokes to take home free of charge. When asked where we could find his produce locally we were told that he often sells at the farmers markets in Daly City and in South San Francisco. Because often generosity and hospitality can work both ways I'll certainly start looking for his family's produce when I shop at these farmers markets. In addition to those photos posted here, more of my photos can be found at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26-2milesandmore/sets/72157621601999289/

Had a good experience today Sunday via Rodriguez Brothers Ranch at the Stonestown Farmers Market in…read moreSan Francisco. Great mix of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs, brought home a bag overflowing of Carrots, Chard, Artichokes, Cilantro, etc.

Always the best quality and freshest produce with amazing prices---especially for the low income…read moreseniors.

OMG! I just bought their strawberries down at a grocery in Long Beach. THE BEST STRAWBERRIES IVE…read moreHAD IN A LOOOONG TIME! They are sweet juicy deep red and so lovely to eat. I will buy you whenever I see them available!

We saw signs and had to make a pit stop for local fresh strawberries! They also have a selection of…read morefresh produce as well!

Peter Piper picked a peck of purple peppers…read more Wait? What did Peter Piper pick? Purple peppers? I kid you not! Okay, maybe it wasn't Peter Piper who picked them, but he could have had he visited the Nunez Farm. It's a fact that purple bell peppers have been around since the mid-80's, but this was the first time I've ever walked upon rows upon rows of them in a field. The purple bell peppers are just one of the crops being harvested at Guillebaldo Nunez' vegetable farm in Watsonville. Artichokes Basil Bell Peppers (Green) Broccoli Butter Lettuce Cabbage (Green) Carrots Celery Collard Greens Fennel Heirloom Tomatoes Kale (Green) Leeks Pink Swiss Chard Potatoes Purple Kale Puple Thai Basil Rainbow Swiss Chard Red Beets Red Cabbage Red Lettuce Swiss Chard White Corn Yellow Swiss Chard Zucchini That's just a fraction of the crops being grown on the Nunez Farm, and it's all organic! That's right! Pesticide and chemical free! When our bus driver missed his turn Guillebaldo jumped into his truck and drove out to the main road to escort our bus into his farm. We were there for the last stop on on our education-filled farm tour. The Nunez Farm is incredible in size, and all of the crops are sold in farmers markets throughout Northern California and at Whole Foods stores under the brand "ALBA Organics". Guillebaldo walked us out to his fields to show us the rainbow of Swiss chards that he has planted. Green, orange, yellow, red, pink - just a variety of colors. I had never seen the yellow ones before and I was fascinated by them. On the same field were green and purple kale. I'd never had kale before and sampled some right there as a leaf was pulled off a plant and passed around to sample. We learned about the nutritious aspect of the kale as well as planting techniques and even ways to cook them. On the opposite side of the field were rows upon row of gigantic heirloom tomatoes hanging on thin sturdy vines. We were told that the fruits had just been picked that morning, but Guillebaldo told us that if we found any other ripe ones in there we were welcomed to pick it. Some of our group got really lucky when Guillebaldo found a whole plant unpicked. I missed out as I had stopped to take photos of big green tomatoes. To the opposite side of the tomato crops was a huge eye opener as we saw a gigantic color-filled farm that seemed to stretch forever. Guillebaldo gave us a quick rundown of all of his crops back there and offered to pick whatever our group requested. His generous offer turned up big red beets, ripe artichoke and handfuls upon handfuls of traditional green and Thai purple basil. The hit of the farm was the beautiful purple bell peppers. Guillebaldo said these were a first-time crop for him and he welcomed us onto the field to pick our own. He cracked one open, broke it into several pieces and passed it around for us to sample. The meat is slightly thinner than that of a green bell pepper, but these were so much sweeter. I might have missed out on the tomatoes but no way did I miss out on these. Time wasn't on our side; otherwise, we might have walked off with a lot more fresh produce than we did. A big thanks goes to Guillebaldo Nunez for opening up his farm to us. I'll be looking for that ALBA brand next time I'm shopping for organics. Where are the photos? Right here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/26-2milesandmore/sets/72157621625559039/

We love Happy Boy Farms! Whether it's the Saturday morning farmers market in downtown Sunnyvale or…read morethe Sunday morning farmers market in downtown Mountain View, we never miss stopping by their stand. Their organic fresh herbs and heirloom tomatoes are the best. Just be sure to go earlier in the day as their stand tends to get picked through towards the end of the markets. Bottom line, good product and nice employees, keeps us happy!

Happy Boy Farms brought a mix of Fruit & Vegetables to the Fort Mason Farmers Market San Francisco…read more Beets, Squash, Greens, Potatoes, Melons, etc and yes Fennel! I love Fennel cooked and in salads. The bounty of Monterey was represented. For over 20 years Happy Boy Farms has been growing organically.

These are the best strawberries. Full stop…read more We always get some from the Heart of the City Farmers Market in SF and every time the strawberries are on point. There really is no point to get them elsewhere.

For years I've been buying strawberries, blackberries and blueberries from Elizabeth who runs the…read moreberry stand every Wednesday at the farmers market outside the VA medical center on 42nd Ave & Clement Street. It's amazing how lucious her strawberries are and how long they last - and even longer when I wrap them in a paper towel and keep them in the refrigerator. Rebecca also taught me to freeze them by placing them on a baking pan near each other but not touching. A few hours later after they're frozen I just put them in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer.  My wife and I have made strawberry jam, preserves, smoothies, and strawberry sauce for pancakes and waffles, and a neighbor I shared somer with made a cake - see below. Only thing that exceeds the quality of Madina Farms berries is how kind and sweet Rebecca herself is! I don't think she even owns the berry farm but is probably an employee. Yet she treats the produce and her customers as if she has no greater pleasure in life but to watch us enjoy and dine on her precious and delicious produce. If you work at the VA or if you're privileged to get your medical care there like me, a Vietnam Vet, or are just in the neighborhood, stop by on any Wednesday before she packs up her van at 1 PM and treat yourself!

Super fun and super yummy. If ya never had strawberries right off the vine then you don't know what…read moreyou're missing. Gizdich is easy to get to from the Bay Area; maybe an hour drive from South San Jose. Note that it's a half mile or so away from the Gizdich location they sell pies and have true fruit picking. They have a large dirt lot and then you walk up the short stairs for strawberry and other berry picking. Bring your own box of Mr bowl or they will sell you one. They weigh it before you start picking. The strawberry patch is quite large and you're sure to find good ones as long as you visit anywhere near the season. I've been here off season and they were closed. And it's not only yum but also kind of fun. Hunting and searching for the good ones! Eat a couple while you pick. I mean, you have to confirm they're good, right?

I actually don't go to get strawberries, I go to pick ollaberries and blackberries. I went once…read morethis season but my grandson had to do the picking because the rows were so rutted I was afraid to walk in them, even with my walker. I would have gone in but can't navigate the rows. If you can walk well though, the berries are really yummy and you can get enough for some pies and jam.

I always look for Borba Farms when I'm at my local farmer's market because of their fresh and…read moreflavorful variety of veggies. My favorite treat is their homemade salsa! The limited jars are usually by the pay counter, so you have to go early to make sure you get one when it's tomato season. It's soooo scrumptious... I have to resist all temptation at devouring the entire jar in one sitting. I can eat it as a meal with tortilla chips. No exaggeration!

They have such a wide variety of produce to choose from. The berries , carrots,tomatoes, beans and…read morepotatoes are the best! I'm also a fan of their jams, and shrubs. We've made some pretty tasty cocktails using their shrubs.

Had a cute experience picking fruits here today. My 5 y/o son loves fruits, especially berries, and…read morewe spent about 30 min here. Since it's the tail end of strawberry/blackberry season, there wasn't a huge abundance of them so we weren't there too long, but it worked out better this way because it wasn't crowded at all (only 1 other family there). We picked strawberries, blackberries, some eggplants, cherry tomatoes, and peppers (so basically everything they had out haha). Price seemed reasonable and the guy managing the field was very nice. FYI, they only take cash but said they accept Zelle, though there's no real cell service there. We've eaten the berries + tomatoes so far and they are delicious!! Since they don't use pesticides, I felt comfortable just eating them immediately after paying.

Cute farm with friendly owners and the sweetest strawberries I've ever had! Farm is flat and small,…read moreso good for toddlers. Prices are fair. There are also some sunflowers right by the strawberries. Would come back!