Farmers’ markets are a sustainable alternative to purchasing your produce at a typical grocery store. On average, fruits and vegetables in the United States travel about 1,500 miles before they’re sold. The process to ship and deliver produce contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and creates pollution and excessive amounts of waste. Food and food packaging contributes to almost 45% of waste in landfills. Shopping locally can help reduce these “food miles,” emissions, pollution and waste. At a farmers’ market, you’re able to buy fresh, in-season produce, and support small local farms and families who use sustainable practices to cultivate their food. A trip to a farmer’s market is considered an essential activity, and there are many farmers’ markets in Sonoma County that you can go to year-round, or seasonally.
Year-Round
Petaluma Eastside Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lucchesi Park, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma
Santa Rosa Original Farmers Market
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Community Farmers' Market
Wednesdays and Saturdays 9 a.m.-1p.m.
Farmers Lane Plaza, 1501 Farmers Lane, Santa Rosa
Oakmont Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon
Oakmont Drive and White Oak Drive, Santa Rosa
Sebastopol Farmers’ Market
Sundays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Sebastopol Plaza on Weeks Way in downtown Sebastopol
Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market
Fridays, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Arnold Field parking lot at 241 First St. W., Sonoma
Seasonal
Cloverdale Tuesday Farmers’ Market
April-November, Tuesdays, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
225 N. Cloverdale Blvd next to Plank Coffee, Cloverdale
Windsor Certified Farmers Market
April-December, Sundays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
May-September, Thursdays, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland Dr., Windsor
Healdsburg Farmers Market
mid April-November, Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-noon
West Plaza Parking Lot, Healdsburg
June-October, Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Downtown Plaza, Healdburg
Petaluma Walnut Park Farmers’ Market
May-November, Saturdays, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Walnut Park, corner of D street and Petaluma Boulevard, Petaluma
Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market
May-September, Tuesdays, 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
City Hall on the Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma
Occidental Community Farmers Market
May-October, 4 p.m.-dusk
South end of downtown, Occidental
Bodega Bay Community Farmers Market
Memorial Day-October, Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
2255 Highway 1 behind the community center, Bodega Bay
Forestville Certified Farmers Market
June-September, Tuesdays, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
New Downtown Park, 6990 Front St., Forestville
The Springs Community Farmers’ Market
June-December, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Plaza at Boyes Boulevard Highway 12, next to Sonoma post office, Sonoma
You can visit all of the above farmers’ markets during the Spring and Summer months, some starting in April. But, there are a few Sonoma County farmers’ markets that are particularly special to check out during the Summer, beginning as early as May.
Summer only
Santa Rosa Downtown Market
May-August, Wednesdays, 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Courthouse Square, Fourth St. from Mendocino Avenue to E St., Santa Rosa
Cotati Community Farmers’ Market
June-August, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Ave., Cotati
Petaluma Evening Market
June-August, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
2nd St. between B and D Streets, Petaluma
Rohnert Park Farmers’ Market
June-August, Fridays, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
6250 Lynne Conde Way at Rohnert Park Expressway and State Farm Dr., Rohnert Park
Russian River Farmers Market
June-August, Thursdays, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
Fourth and Church Streets behind Hubert’s Hall
If you’re not in Sonoma County, you can visit the California Farmers’ Markets Association website to find a California market near you, or you can use the Ecology Center’s Farmers’ Market Finder. Wherever you are in the United States, the Department of Agriculture has a national farmers market directory that you can browse through, too. Before and while you visit any farmers’ markets, remember to be safe and follow any necessary protocols.
Marian Mejia, the current Communications assistant at Sustainable SSU, is a graduating senior in the Geography, Environment, and Planning department with a focus in Society, Environment, and Development. She can be contacted at mejimari@sonoma.edu