Farmer’s Market Fridays

This week’s market post, the third in our series, covers my territory, San Mateo County. I’ve been hitting farms (love LJB Farms in Gilroy), farmstands (the one right off 280 at Alpine comes to mind), and farmers’ markets since my children were small. It’s a great place to bring children, to let them sample the fresh fruit and veggies grown locally, and to get out in the sunshine and fresh air. While it isn’t a replacement for your own home garden, not many of us have enough room (or time) to grow everything under the sun, and fruit trees take a long time to bear once planted, so these markets are a great supplement to those who put their green thumbs to good use.

My regular visits, from the list below, are to the year-round market at the College of San Mateo, the Thursday night San Carlos market, and to the Redwood City Saturday market. My daughter and I began going to the San Mateo market a few years ago, particularly during the months where my more local markets don’t operate. We’d go over and do a walk around the campus trails for some exercise and then fill up our bags before we left. My husband and I head down to the Redwood City stalls during the spring and summer months, usually combining it with a visit to Peet’s for a cup of joe, and to Pamplamousse, our favorite downtown bakery, for a breakfast treat. The Thursday night market in San Carlos, where they close off Laurel street for several blocks, is perfect for picking up items for a Friday night party and you can get great roasted chickens and potatoes from the rolling rotisserie truck that frequents the market (if you are patient enough to wait in a long line). I’m always amazed at the great choices of produce, both organic and not, that can be found at these markets, and believe that we should be supporting these small growers, who have such a passion for what they do.

NOTE: Markets are year-round unless noted otherwise.

Belmont Sunday 9am – 1 pm Caltrain Station
Burlingame Sunday 9 am – 1:30 pm (May-mid-November) Park Rd. and Howard Avenue
Daly City Thursday 9am – 1 pm, Saturday 9am – 1 pm Serramonte Shopping Center
Half Moon Bay Saturday 9am – 1pm Shoreline Station
Menlo Park Sunday 9am – 1 pm Crane & Chestnut Sts.
Millbrae Saturday 8am – 1 pm 200 block of Broadway
Redwood City Saturday 8am – 1pm (April – November) Winslow and Middlefield (across from Caltrain)
San Carlos Thursday 4pm – 8pm May through Sept, Laurel Street (700 block)
San Mateo Wednesday and Saturday 9am – 1pm College of San Mateo
Serramonte Thursday and Saturday 9am – 1pm Serramonte Shopping Center (behind Target)
South San Francisco Saturday 9am – 1pm (Mid-May to Mid- November) Orange Memorial Park

Previous Market Posts:
Alameda County
San Francisco