To market, to market

When your kids start thinking that hamburgers grow on trees and neon blue is the actual color of raspberries, it might be time for a trip to the farmers market. Here, dirt clings to radishes, bread is freshly baked, apples, peaches and cherries were hanging in the sun just hours ago, and the only shade of blue is as cool and natural as blueberries.

Wine Country takes its farm markets seriously. Organically and sustainably farmed foods are in high demand, and it isn’t surprising to hear farmers being interrogated about pesticides, carbon footprints and fertilizers by picky shoppers. Armed with straw baskets and recycled bags, much of the town turns out after work or on weekend mornings to get the freshest and juiciest produce.

Each of the markets, from Sebastopol to Napa, reflects not only what’s available at nearby farms but also the values and tastes of the community. Most markets – Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Petaluma, Windsor, Occidental, Guerneville, Napa and St. Helena – are open seasonally, usually April or May through October or November. Santa Rosa’s market at the Veterans Building is open year-round, rain or shine.

Combining some of the best flavors of the region is the 40,000-square-foot Oxbow Public Market. Open year-round (and inside), the market is not a farmers market. It’s similar in style to San Francisco’s Ferry Building Market, with several restaurants, seafood and meat purveyors, a bakery, wine and tea shops and an organic ice cream company. Best of all, it’s just a quick skip next door to Copia, the center for Food, Wine and Art, which hosts Napa’s downtown farmers market (there’s a popular Chef’s Market on First Street as well ) throughout the summer.

Oxbow Public Market

Oxbow Public Market Rotisario: Bay Area’s much-loved mobile rotisserie and farm-market fixture gets a permanent home here. All organic free-range meats. Fatted Calf: Swoon-worthy charcuterie including house-made sausages (more of the classic pork, rabbit and duck-style than the fruit and cheese-filled type); paté, bacon, salumi, heirloom pig pork chops and other meaty goodness. Hog Island Oyster Co.: The pearl of the San Francisco Bay, this local, sustainable oyster company is now shucking daily in Napa. Sweet, briny and best eaten raw. Taylor’s Automatic Refresher: A vintage St. Helena burger spot with a Napa twist – Ahi tuna burgers and sweet potato fries, anyone? Pica-Pica: The key offering at this Venezuelan kitchen is flatbread corn arepas (a cousin to El Salvador’s pupusas) filled with meat, cheese or veggies. Also on the menu, cachapas, polvorosa de pollo, yucca fries, salads and a variety of South American beverages and desserts. Three Twins Organic Ice Cream: A San Rafael newcomer using all-organic products in its delicately flavored ice creams. The Model Bakery: A St. Helena gathering spot featuring tasty salads, espresso and fresh-baked goods.

• Whole Spice: Petaluma retailers offer up hundreds of different spices from around the world.
• Five Dot Ranch: Premium producer of sustainable beef.
• Kanaloa Seafood: A worldwide network of suppliers provides sustainable, fresh fish (and shellfish) to this biologist-owned company.
• Folio Enoteca: Onsite microwinery, café and tasting menu.
• Plus, Oxbow Cheese Merchant, Annette’s Chocolates, The Olive Press, Tillerman Teas, Kitchen Library, Heritage Culinary Artifacts and Fete (for entertaining provisions).