Certified Farmers' Market

Certified Farmers' Markets are an effort to re-establish the traditional link between farmers and consumers in California. Certified Farmers' Markets are "the real thing;" places where genuine farmers offer only agricultural products they grow themselves for direct sale to the public. By eliminating the middleman's additional costs and multiple product handling, both the farmers and the consumers benefit.

Although the Certified Farmers' Markets are strictly governed by the high quality and growing standards of California, their farmers can bring field and tree ripened fruits and vegetables which are too delicate for the packing and shipping processes of traditional food distribution systems. In addition, consumers are assured of obtaining only California grown fruits and vegetables, fresh and in season, at attractive prices.

California farmers are the most regulated farmers in the world, but high standards add to the cost of farming and put our farmers at a competitive disadvantage with produce shipped from other areas. By shopping at Certified Farmers’ Markets, consumers directly support our responsible California family farmers, help save our vanishing farmland and maintain a safe food supply in the state where they raise their families.

Certified Farmers' Markets have become social gathering places and are the face of the communities they serve. They are where the agrarian community and the urban community relate to each other. The markets serve as great communication vehicles whereby patrons come face to face with their food source, enjoy the enlightenment of a multicultural experience and learn from the exchange of information.