Here's the amazing thing about farmers' markets: most of the farmers have such an intriguing story when you get to talk to them. Small farms are a rare thing in this country, and making a living farming involves such deliberate decisions that there are not many people who farm without a lot of soul-searching along the way. It can be an addiction ... finding out these stories.
And do I have one for you today.
I'm embarrassed to say that I first became truly aware of Ella Bella's produce this year. I have been shopping at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market for about five years, and I have picked up an item or two at Ella Bella from time to time, but this is the first year that they have become a regular stop for me -- one of the reasons I come to the market. The item that made me stop in my tracks was Ella Bella's summer squash. They were full of sweetness and moisture, I did nothing to these beauties except for eat them lightly steamed and unadorned.
The next week I returned for more squash and some dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes and talked to one of the two elderly people at the booth. I started talking about quality of the produce, and he beamed. It was the beam of a proud parent -- one who is unabashedly sure that his son walks on water.