California Local Foods
Guide to Eating Local in California
Eating local in California is relatively easy: 80% of the country's fruits and vegetables are grown in the state. Find ideas, inspiration, and information on eating more local foods below.
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California Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables
WhitneyB / Twenty20 Growing seasons are long and multiple in California, but produce items still have their seasons.
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California Food Festivals
Debby Lewis-Harrison / Getty Images The Golden State is awash in food festivals from big splashy fairs to smaller community events. Find a festival near you or featuring your favorite California ingredient:
- Artichoke Festival (Castroville, California)
- Avocado Festival (Carpinteria, California)
- California's Artisan Cheese Festival (Petaluma, California)
- Gilroy Garlic Festival (Gilroy, California)
- Lambtown, USA (Dixon, California)
- Mendocino Crab & Wine Days (Mendocino, California)
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California Specialties
pjohnson1 / Getty Images Eat like the locals eat in California with these great recipes for classic California dishes:
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California CSAs
Morsa Images / Getty Images California has plenty of community supported agriculture programs to choose from.
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California Meats
Westend61 / Getty Images There are several sustainable, locally focused ranchers and livestock farms in California.
- Clark Summit Farms in Tomales Bay raises pastured beef, pork, chickens, eggs, and sometimes geese
- Marin Sun Farms provides beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, and eggs to the San Francisco Bay Area
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California Favorites: Abalone
Multi-bits / Getty Images Once upon a time, abalone was so plentiful on the California coast that beach-goers would simply pluck them off rocks at low tide and cook them up over bonfires. Such a defenseless condition, combined with richly flavored meat that always strikes me as a cross between scallops and foie gras, led to a threatened population. Wild abalone harvest is now strictly regulated, and limited to recreational diving only. Luckily, some intrepid souls raise farmed abalone. No matter what kind you have, see how to clean it and how to cook it.
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California Favorites: Dungeness Crab
Steven Krug / Getty Images Dungeness crabs crawl along the shore from Central California on north to Alaska and are a seasonal favorite, especially in Northern California. The crab season usually opens in mid-November in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Dungeness crab is a traditional part of holiday dinners and Christmas Eve crab-picking dinners.
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California Favorites: Green Almonds
Evgenija Lanz / EyeEm / Getty Images You need almond orchards to get green almonds, and California grows a whole hell of a lot of almonds. Look for delectable green almonds at farmers markets and some specialty markets in April and, depending on the year, into early June sometimes.