Come join us this Sunday for the beginning of our month long October Eat Local Zero Waste Challenge!  Be a part of a movement to combat climate change by supporting local farmers and businesses and your local farmers’ market.  It’s the easiest way to participate in a movement that will change your life!  How can you lose?  Sound good?  Want to know how you can be a part?  By simply bringing your own bags and containers instead of reaching for another plastic bag, you are on the track to making sure hundreds of plastic bags never see the local landfill.
Want to lessen your carbon footprint?  Simply buy more locally grown and produced foods at farm stands, farmers markets and locally owned grocery stores that source produce from local farmers.

I have a friend who grows and sells pixie tangerines in Ojai, California.  In order for the local Vons store to get a box of his pixie tangerines, they first  go to a distribution hub in LA and from their they travel hundreds of miles to Austin, Texas to the Vons warehouse to then be loaded onto a truck that comes back to the Vons store in Ojai.  We really need to think more locally when looking at our food system.  The farmers’ market is a great place to start where you are guaranteed farm fresh just picked, nutrient dense produce that is mostly grown within Sonoma County! #supportyourlocalfarmer

On stage this week please welcome local favorite Emily Harris and her band playing folk/country/blues Americana.

What’s in season?  There’s plenty of amazing, farm fresh, delicious veggies to choose from!  Get your heirloom tomatoes and peppers while they last.  Wondering how to have tomatoes year round? Slice them and freeze or dry them.  Look for cucumbers, green beans, lettuces, arugula, spinach, microgreens, totsoi, mizuna, bokchoy, kales, chard, mustard greens, Napa, savoy and red and green cabbages, carrots, beets, fennel, eggplant, potatoes, onions, shallots, summer and winter squashes, and so much more.  Try roasting winter squash or root vegetables and adding them to a kale salad with apples and add almonds or walnuts and, cow or goat cheese drizzle with olive oil and lemon for a delicious fall salad!!

Enjoy the bounty of the season with the end of the peaches, plums, berries and melons.. get them while you can.  Not to fret, we have plenty of delicious fall fruits at the market with antique apple varietals, pears, figs and persimmons!!  Quince and pomegranites are on their way!!

Mark your calendars:

October 13^th – the Pomo Dancers will take the stage with traditional dances.  Also look for information and craft booths and special guest singer, Hopi Calazzo.

October 20^th – Be inspired – learn about Zero Waste initiatives and the importance of eating local!!  Recology – 350 Sonoma – Straus Dairy – CAFF/Farmers’ Guild – Community Market – Pacific Bio Char – Master Gardeners – Sonoma Bicycle Coalition and many others will be joining the market to share information and ideas for a Zero Waste Sebastopol!!  You are the change – the time is now!

October 27^th – Dias de los Muertos celebration with Javier Salmon and Cuyuay.

We are eternally grateful for the continued support of this amazing, generous community.
Together we can make good things happen!
See you this and every Sunday!

Carla