I'm a huge advocate of Farmers Markets. I love that they bring together locals as well as local…read morevendors. I had a good time, and would definitely recommend coming here at least once, but I may wait awhile before coming again. Mainly because trying to find parking near this market is insane. That, and I wasn't necessarily blown away by any one particular vendor. I highly suggest coming early or parking a little ways down - since come 6:00pm - Downtown San Rafael is a madhouse. As far as clothing and jewelry vendors - I didn't see too much that stood out to me personally, but it was still fun to browse. The Food vendors were very friendly. I tried a mini vanilla Teeny Cake, which was probably the highlight of my stroll-through. The fruit looked delicious and I loved that so many of the fruit vendors had samples out. White nectarines, peaches, and plums - juicy and perfectly ripe were everywhere. I watched a number of mellow soulful musical performances, before turning the corner and heading to Sol Food for some Mango Iced Tea and plantains. I'm so glad that these early night Farmers Markets exist. It's an incredible way to bring together a diverse group of people in a warm and genuine way. Would definitely recommend- if you happen to be in the area on an upcoming Thursday.

Not my favorite farmer's market. Not by a longshot. It feels like a hybrid farmer's market/street…read morefair and not a wholly interesting one at that. The one thing I do like about this Thursday evening market is the deep discounts that go on close to the 8 p.m. closing time. Linger around, then pounce on those $1/pound nectarines, plums, and peaches. Grab 3 flower bouquets for $10. Get a mess of end of summer/end of night tomatoes. They have the usual fruits and vegetables, an assortment of okay food, live LOUD music on the little square beside Arizmendi Bakery, inflatable jumpy things at one end, and mostly forgettable jewelry/clothes/junque at the other end. No dogs allowed here, even on a leash. You will be stopped, so don't even bother trying.

Fell in love with their olive oil skincare ever since I visited their ranch. The balms are…read moreluxurious and absorb nicely. I found the facial cleansing balm to be superior to the versions from Elemis and Peter Roth Thomas. You can order their products online. Some of their body care products are also at Filoli's gift shop.

Olive oil is great. Easy to make a reservation…read more Service is eh. Waiter had no idea which oil flavors we had. Was very hard to get water from. We got the bill and had no idea we needed to go inside to pay and we sat there for 20 mins waiting for him to pick up from us. Not really strong communication

What a wonderful farm stand! Right when you pull in you are greeted by chickens and other animals,…read morewhich is so cute. Our family comes to Farm Barn at least every other week. In our opinion, this is the best place to get fresh, pasture-raised chicken eggs! They do have a variety of things for sale: chicken eggs, duck eggs, salsa, homemade jam, raw local honey, coffee, cookies, brownies, soap, toffee, and other local/homemade goodies. You will definetely find something to your liking. They use the honor system which makes it easy and convenient. We prefer to pay with cash, but you can also use Venmo or PayPal. We are definitely regulars by now, and I do recommend Farm Barn to anyone interested in fresh local products. Stop by and you won't be disappointed!

What a cool find. Thanks to Farm Trails this place is now on my go to list. Eggs and some fun…read moreextras just because.

I saw the other review was 10 years ago, so I will post my thoughts…read more I have been vegetarian for past 50 of my 76 years, but I do eat eggs, and dairy...and honey, and insects that cling to my produce if I don't see them. I am very happy with the quality of PETALUMA FARMS Jumbo grade A eggs that I get from my local WINCO store here in Chico. Many are double yoked, and although the shells are very thin, the eggs themselves arrive clean, and in a cardboard, not plastic container. YES! on all those things from the start. I believe they subscribe to all the laws we have in California to protect Chickens. If the chickens do not wander outside, that outside is still available to them. I Google mapped the "Farm" (Plant), OVERHEAD "SPY" view.. and it didnt seem to be a dairy farm set up with a mile of green grass around the many many large chicken houses, but they are not sold as "Free Range". I know people who have resident chickens as house pets..they seem to do just great..chickens and friends inside their houses. I give Petaluma 5 stars, not because they are rescuing chickens and letting them live great lives in their older years, but because, I believe they are providing high quality food, at affordable prices while abiding with our very progressive poultry laws. Now, about those TRIPPLE YOKERS YOU ARE WORKING ON... Wayne Pierce...Durham, Calif 80 miles away from Petaluma..

If it were possible to give them no stars - I would…read more Here is most recent article from Mother Jones: "Eggs labeled "organic" come from happy chickens with plenty of room to roam, right? Not necessarily, according to an eye-opening investigation by the Cornucopia Institute. Many so-called organic egg operations are just as grimly crowded as factory farms, and although the USDA requires outdoor access for laying hens whose eggs are labeled organic, Cornucopia found that at many farms, "outdoors" often consists of nothing more than a tiny concrete screen porch adjoining the tenement-like henhouse. Some of the organic egg producers even signed a letter to the National Organic Standards Board opposing the outdoor access rule." Apparently Petaluma Farms wasn't quite as two-faced as to actually sign the letter - but that's the best that can be said here.

Gallery Route One is a small art gallery with a nook of a gift shop that could definitely stand to…read moregrow a bit. We stopped in but I didn't love that they had some candles or scent being piped in, so we browsed quickly, checking out the items and admiring the bitty handheld chimes that they honey was quite taken with and then headed out. At the end of the day it's a small space but if you have the time, definitely worth a look into.

Small friendly wall art gallery featuring local artists at a reasonable price point. Some jewelry…read moreand other gifts. Very nice staff and good energy.

We originally decided to visit Reis Ranch and Winery because I was hoping to get a horse/cattle fix…read morewhile on vacation, but we decided to sink into our seats and stay because of the wine, the views, and the chatting with owners Dennis and Deb. We opted to do the 7 wine tasting option and had the delightful experience to taste some varietals side by side from different years. The conversations were engaging and we enjoyed hearing from Dennis and Deb about what led them to this chapter from exclusively training horses and offering clinics to now settling down with rolling hill views of over 630 acres, raising cattle, working horses, and making wine. As an extra bonus, we learned that on the weekends Dennis offers grilled burgers from his homegrown cattle - and it was the best dang burger I've ever had! The Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and look forward to our next trip to California so we can swing by and catch up - we came as strangers and we left feeling like friends.

Good wine and an incredible cheeseburger. Otherwise, the experience was average. The scenery is…read morebeautiful and the place has SO much potential, but it underdelivered. It was kid/dog friendly, which was nice, but we felt like we were an inconvenience to the people working there.

For those who aren't already familiar with my obsessions, I do have a thing for seeking out the…read moretastiest meat and produce that I can find. I've smuggled raw milk cheeses over international lines and have hand carried illicit hams across the country to share with friends. In my experience, I've also learned that how your food is raised directly correlates to how it tastes on your plate. I first caught wind of Clark Summit early last year, as they were a part of the first Bay Area Meat CSA program. But it wasn't until November that the opportunity came up to purchase some pigs and check them out first hand. Spring had brought them a bumper crop of piglets...more than could be sustained on their limited acreage, so a number of them would have to be slaughtered. Of course, to me this means, "perfect timing for a whole pig roast!" Besides, taking the pigs off the land actually helped the farm run a more sustainable operation...enjoy tasty meat and help out the environment? What a concept. Additionally, the farmers, Liz and Dan, were more than happy to let me watch the slaughtering process, so I headed up to the farm a little early. (Try that with the meat at your local supermarket). I'll spare you the vivid details, but it was a definitely unique experience. I happen to believe that if I can't stand to watch my food's life from beginning to end, perhaps I shouldn't be eating it. After watching the slaughter of some pigs and turkeys and taking a tour of the grounds, Liz and Dan surprisingly and graciously invited me to lunch. I knew things were a little different when Dan asked me if I wanted some apple cider to go with our meal. I said "sure", thinking nothing of it, kind of like asking if someone wants water, juice or a soda... until he replied 'well, start picking away then!' We grabbed a bucket and picked right from their apple tree. Taking the bucket inside and washing our apples off, we removed the stems but then proceeded to throw the apples into the blender whole, seeds and all. What came out was just the crisp, sweet bite of apple that can only come from fresh pressed and un-oxidized cider. Lunch continued in similar fashion. Liz churned some raw milk butter straight from their dairy cow, the cheese and bread for the grilled cheese sandwiches came from their neighbor. Liz even shared some live-grain raw milk kefir that she had made. The combo of milk, acidic tang, fizz and alcohol's a pretty great experience in and of itself. We talked about food and the challenges of being a small homestead farmer pretty much through the whole afternoon. It was a more than gracious gesture, and I thank Liz and Dan for sharing their home with me. Luckily, this isn't just a cute little story about my day on the farm...Today marks the start of Clark Summit Farm's new CSA. (see Bonnie's post at http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/04/24/clark-summit-meat-club/#more-2747). Because it's basically just Liz, Dan and a couple of farmhands, until now, the only way to get their meat was to take the same route I did; buy whole animals, pick it up and butcher it yourself. With the new CSA, you'll be able to buy into a share of convenient cuts and only have to pick up from one of three locations (Emeryville, SF, Marin). There are three share sizes, so you can tailor the order to your needs. For the first share to be delivered in Mid-May, there are 50 slots available...so email meatclub@clarksummitfarm.com if you want in. Additionally, there are some factors that make Clark Summit unique: -They raise heritage meat birds (Red Broilers), which take 3 months to mature vs. the 7 weeks of Cornish Cross Hens. (the vast majority of chicken consumed in this country). There are some tricks to cooking with them, but feel free to ask me about them. -Their Duroc-Gloucester Old Spot Pigs are some of the finest around. Ask them about Berkshires and you'll get a "Pshh, I'll put one of mine up against a Berk anyday" in response. Honestly, next to real Ossabaws (endangered), or bellota-fed pata negra pigs from Spain...this is some of the finest pork you can get. It's what disappeared in twenty minutes at my pig roast, and it is the secret to my chocolate chip cookies. -Beef...again, they use less common breeds of heritage beef. The hairy kind...I can't remember exactly which...since I haven't had a chance to try them. But certainly something I'm looking forward to. Liz and Dan are artisans in the truest sense of the word. Farming has been in their respective families for generations. Simply, they live a humble existence driven by a passion for farming. If we don't support folks like these, some of the tastiest food on the planet is likely to go extinct... and that's no exaggeration. Eat well while helping the environment (not to mention preserving heritage breeds of yummy livestock)? What a concept.

We bought a whole cow from them in April 2014. The process was tough as she wouldn't never return…read morephone calls, email only. Communication overall was difficult as it would take days to week to respond. After tasting the meat for a year, our biggest issue is the meat is very gamey. It's to the point that we are giving most of the meat to our pups now. Personally would suggest finding other options or inspecting your head of cattle prior to purchase.

Could be one of my favorite tea houses ever. Beautiful and zen interior with Japanese floor seating…read moreon tatami, awesome music and lots of books! And not to forget, wonderful tea. I'll be back.

Sadly, Western Gate is permanently closed! It was beautiful, elegant, and served great tea with a…read morecontemplative atmosphere. Such things it seems are not meant to last.