By Tom Robertson
If you are looking for something to do on any given Saturday and have never visited the Vista Farmers Market, you are missing out on a great shopping experience. This large farmers market has been in operation since 1981 and is the first farmers market in the county as well as one of the oldest markets in the state of California. Ample parking is available at the current location for the Vista Farmers Market at the San Diego County Courthouse, 345 Melrose Drive, just south of Highway 78.
It is open every Saturday, regardless of the weather, from 8:00 am until Noon.
It should be noted that pets are not allowed at the Vista Farmers Market.
On any Saturday there could be as many as 50 farmers selling what they grow, both local, certified and organic growers. These farmers sell a wide selection of avocados, tomatoes, persimmons, apples, oranges, strawberries, peaches, other fruits and every vegetable imaginable. Along with this, other farmers might be selling dates, nuts, honey, juices, cheeses, sausages, plants, flowers, sea food, and grass-fed meats. As you walk through this section of the Vista Farmers Market you will be amazed at the wide range of choices you will have. Many people attending bring in small carts to load the products they have purchased.
Along with the farmers selling their produce there can be as many as 40 food makers selling their prepared foods, such as breads, pies, cupcakes, pastries, cakes, cookies, pasta, spreads, coffee, dry rub, sauces, salsa, dips, and other selections. Everything is prepared fresh each week. Many of these food makers have been at the farmers market for years and those purchasing their products know exactly where they are located in the market. Another feature that has grown over the years is the hot food vendors preparing breakfast or lunch items. This section of the market is known for the unique culture experience for those purchasing food. At times, up to 14 different countries foods are available for customers to select from.
Another feature for the market is a select number of Artisans and Crafters which will be selling soap, pottery, dog treats, hats, clothing, jewelry and much more. Many attending will drop off their knives, garden or shop tools to have them sharpened while they wander the farmer’s market. Close to the entrance, different musicians provide entertainment and close by is a free book exchange where people can drop donated books off and pick up a book in exchange.
As you wander through the Vista Farmers Market you will quickly notice that the market is arranged into five marketplaces for the most part. There is the ‘World’s Fare’ serving foods from ethnic traditions around the world; the Certified Farmers Market features farmers selling everything they grow for the Certified Farmers Market; a Food Specialties Marketplace for food makers and farmers that produce what they sell; an Artisans Marketplace for those that sell what they make and the Gardeners Market for farmers and craft makers who sell items for your garden. Plastic packaging is not allowed for items sold at the market.
There are some special events that are run for the market including the Jewelry Jamboree, a once-a-year event, and on the Second Saturday, businesses and other groups that are not allowed normally at the market are allowed to set up a tent and sell their items. There are limits to who can participate. Anyone interested can go online and see the restrictions and rules for participation. Go to www.vistafarmersmarket.com.
A Trip Around the Market – a look at some of the vendors on the day I attended
Entering near the entrance by the World’s Fare area, walking by Gourmet Tamales, El’s Crepes and Café Aleksander Coffee (a popular stop in the early morning) is a good way to begin your tour of the market. Guitarist and singer Ken Sprinkle was providing soothing toons. Looking down the tents and food vendors at those selling food today included Hash Papas (stuffed hashbrowns, my sons favorite), Vietnamese Grill, Aunty Devi’s Meat Pies (including Scotch Eggs – first appearing in 1738 in Scotland), Vegan Mexican Food, Buddha Bowl, Delicious Ghanaian West African Food (most popular dish was FuFu – goat meat soup), House of Bao (dumplings and steamed buns popular there), Ostteria Italiana Pizzeria (food truck cart). Speaking with Jerry Gutierez, who has been coming to the market for 10 years, he said he loves the market food, as shown by today’s purchase of Dim Sung from one vendor and Belgian waffles from another vendor.
Across from the food vendors, I visited with Adam and Taylor from Kalen & Rose selling home and body products. Then I walked into the Certified Farmers Market area. Some of the farms selling fruits and vegetables today included Gaytan Family Farms, Onfre Farms, Bernardino Farms, Schaner Farms, Behneman Farms, Valdiria Farms, Rancho de la Passion Farms, Antonio Buenrostro Produce Farms, Jay Farms and Golden Farms. Also selling products was Sage Meat Farms selling steaks and roasts, Yebcraft selling beef snacks and Fromagerie Cie Cheese selling cheese from six different countries. Close by Pastalia was selling a variety of different pasta to prepare for home dishes. Rancho Garcia Nursery was selling a variety of flowers.
Erica Bohm and husband Michael Ross, of Carlsbad, were selling delicious dark chocolates at Gourmet M Chocolates. Michael was a former aerospace scientist that developed, first as a hobby, a recipe for different chocolates and now has a thriving business. Over 20 different chocolates are available for purchase. I tried several, the Hickory Smoked & Black Lava Sea Salt bar was wonderful. Not far away, LeRoy’s Sweet Potato Shack, owned by Bryan Moore, was selling a variety of cakes, pies and cupcakes. Bryan has been selling at the market since 2009. Richard Taylor, from Vista, was selling hot sauces at Tico Rico and next to him was Terra Hava, a booth selling fresh Spirulina from Encinitas. There were several Super Food booths offering healthy alternatives for foods with probiotics, like Arva’s Super Food with soups and juices. The Mulk Company offered Almond milk as a cold pressed plant based dairy free product. The Origen Coffee Roasters have been in business for 10 years and also have a coffee shop by Palomar Airport. For those that like tea, the Tea Bazaar has 100 different teas to choose from.
One of the new booths was ‘Vegan Stops’ offering all organic Mediterranean products. 100 Proof sold dry rub for different meats provided seasonings for cooking. The Big Joy Family Bakery & Café was one of the three bread booths at the market. Next to them was Ninfa Island selling 15 different spreads for foods. One of the popular bread booths was Le Rendez-Vous French Bakery from Oceanside. People waited in a long line to purchase bread, pastries and other items. The Goods Bake Company from Fallbrook also offered a nice selection of breads and has been at the market since 2017. I spoke with the owner of Nom-Stop Chili Crisps and Ruth’s No. 5 Salsa about their products. Nearby Versel Bakery sold gluten free products. Muellers Mushrooms sold interesting and unique artwork and had information on medicinal mushrooms. Kevin Finster from Finster Farms sold duck eggs. He had information on the nutritional value of duck eggs compared to chicken eggs. His farm of 200 ducks and 10 sheep is in Anza. If you are in the mood for pizza, La Pinsa Mia Artisan Roman Style Pizza sells take-n-bake pizza in 10 flavors in 20 different farmers markets. The Homan House Sweets & Treats of Vista was close by with unique products.
If you were in the mood for something to drink you could stop at Green Fix Smoothies, Cana Love Fresh Pressed Sugar Cane Juice or Babe Kombucha & Yerba Mate. Skys the Limit Foods sold dips and sauces and next to them was Simply Cheddar selling handmade cheese balls. The Prager Brothers Bakery of Carlsbad also had three locations including one in Carlsbad at 5611 Palmer Way. Le Saint Honore from Los Angeles only comes to one market selling pastries in the Vista Farmers Market. Max’s Honey House was selling a variety of honey products. Not far away was Magi Seafood selling Wild Alaskan Salmon. This was also a popular stop.
Several people visited Sensible Homestead Microgreens of Vista to purchase wasabi, kale, arugula, cilantro and other microgreens. Two long time attendees to the Vista Farmers Market were the Wright Sharpening Company, run by Chris and Amanda, servicing 20-40 customers each Saturday and Rubi “The Worm Wrangler” selling 100% worm castings for your garden or flower beds. Rubi has sold for 20 years at the Vista Farmers Market and been marketing her product for 30 years.
Whether you are looking for something to eat, something you need for a meal you are preparing, some unusual or creative gift or just want to browse through a unique market setting, set some time aside some Saturday to visit the Vista Farmers Market. Each of the vendors is more than willing to tell you about what they sell and greet you with a friendly smile and welcome.
These are a few of the contacts for some of the companies handing out business cards:
Tea Bazaar – www.teabazaarca.com
Rubi “The Worm Wrangler” – rubireds2@aol.com
The Goods Bake Co. – thegoodsbakeco@gmail.com
Homan House Sweets and Treats – www.Homehousesweets.com
Muellers Mushroom’s – www.muellersmushroom.com
Gourmet M Chocolates – info@gourmetM.com
Kalen & Rose – www.kalenandrose.com
