The Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market is coming to town every Sunday of the year starting May 2.
The market will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Del Rayo Village Shopping Center in the Fairbanks Ranch area (16079 San Dieguito Rd., Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091). The Helen Woodward Animal Center is a beneficiary of the market and will receive 10 percent of the vendor profits each week.
“I felt like we really needed something like [this market in this community],” said organizer Raquel Pena, who works in event planning and real estate. “Finally, we will have a market of just top-quality products that are not represented by sales people or vendors, but represented by the farmers themselves. This is a farmers’ market and that’s really key.”
The Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market will not be a place where people come to eat, Pena said. Rather, it will be a place to pick up farmer-fresh foods and ideas to take home and get busy in the kitchen.
“It’s a place for foodies to explore what’s out there,” said Pena, who said they will also launch a website soon that will provide interesting new recipes every month.
Pena is a Farmers Market aficionado, she loves the markets in Santa Monica and Hollywood, as well as the sprawling weekend ones in Hillcrest. She has even gone up to Portland, Ore. to check out markets.
Pena said it doesn’t get much better than buying vegetables and fruit that have been picked that same day, sometimes just the day before.
“I’m crazy about heirloom tomatoes, all the stone fruits and avocados,” Pena said.
Doing her research to find farmers for the Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market has been a satisfying experience for a foodie such as herself.
“This has been heaven,” Pena said. “It’s been incredibly fun.”
Pena has found a collection of farmers to attend the Rancho Santa Fe market, all from local farms within 150 miles of San Diego. Rather than get a lot of farmers with the same kind of produce, she has tried to find farmers who specialize in each item. Some confirmed farmers include:
• Maggie’s Farm: famous for its Stellar Mix salad mix that comes with edible flowers.
• ParadiseValley: “the best avocados and lemons,” Pena said.
• Sage Mountain: seasonal organic vegetables
• Smit Orchards: stone fruit like cherries, peaches, plumcots, pluots, apricots
• Archie’s Acres: living basil, lettuces, kale, chard
• Suncoast Farms: artichoke and asparagus
• Kuwano Farms: strawberries, raspberries, white raspberries, blackberries and grapes
In addition to fruits and veggies, farmers will also be selling homemade olive oils, honeys, artisan bread, pastas, eggs, olives, fresh roasted coffee, teas, soaps and candles.
The market will also have a fresh fish vendor, cut and potted flowers, and Soledad goat cheese.
Pena is also excited about the cherries they will have available for the market’s opening day on May 2. Cherries have a short season and their launch date will be perfect for the just-in-season fruit.
The market will be held in the middle of the parking lot at the Del Rayo Village Shipping Center where parking will also be available.
“We wanted to provide a service to the community and have Del Rayo be a place where people can come together and find fresh produce at reasonable prices,” said Charles Covello, president and owner of the shopping center.