Each year, we ask Orange County Register readers to choose their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in OC.
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Here are the top picks for Best farmers market:
1. Tanaka Farms
5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine; 949-653-2100; tanakafarms.com
Tanaka Farms is a family-owned, multi-generational farm and one of the top Irvine attractions, famous for its strawberry picking, pumpkin patch and seasonal celebrations. Tanaka Farms has been a cornerstone of Irvine’s agricultural heritage since the early 1900s, when members of the Tanaka family first arrived in the United States from Japan and began farming in Orange County.
Today, Tanaka Farms remains a family-operated farm spanning multiple generations and continuing its tradition of sustainable farming practices. As one of the few working farms in Irvine, Tanaka Farms offers visitors a chance to experience the region’s rich farming history while enjoying a wide variety of fresh produce, educational tours and community events. The farm grows over 60 different varieties and fruits and vegetables and hosts school children on field trips all year.
Tanaka Farms offers hands-on fun for all ages year-round with strawberry and flower picking, melon tasting in the summer and a pumpkin patch for the fall, as well as festive winter holiday events. A visit to this longtime farm favorite brings the chance to enjoy tractor rides, see the animals in the barn yard and enjoy seasonal celebrations.
“We show children where their food actually comes from. Guided tours around the farm where you can try different fruits and vegetables right out of the ground. Bring the whole family out for a great outing. Give yourselves an experience that will last a lifetime,” Glenn Tanaka wrote on Yelp.
2. Irvine Farmers Market
5001 Newport Coast Drive, Irvine; 949-301-9180; ocfarmbureau.org
The Irvine Farmers Market has been serving the community since 1994 and is the largest farmers market in Orange County with more than 50 farm vendors selling fruits and vegetables year-round. Everything at the market is grown and sold by the farmer directly to market customers.
The market offers treats hot and ready to eat, plus artisan foods to take home. Over 60 vendors offer musubi, sliders, craft seasonings, kimchee, retail cuts of beef, free range chicken and turkey, specialty sausages, cheeses and drinks.
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Net proceeds fund agricultural education in Orange County. The market is run by the Orange County Farm Bureau, a nonprofit membership organization for OC farmers, established in 1917. The bureau supports the next generation of farmers by financially supporting students pursuing agriculture degrees.
“Customers can feel good about shopping at the best farmers market in the county knowing they’re simultaneously supporting the next generation of farmers who sustain our local food system,” said Farm Bureau Executive Director Casey Anderson.
3. Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market
303 W. Palm Ave., Orange; orangehomegrown.org
The Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market is extremely special because it has become the community’s kitchen table; a place where people gather not just to shop, but to connect and support one another.
“You can shake the hand of the farmer who grew your food, support local artisans, enjoy live music, participate in education events, and watch neighbors become friends,” said Megan Penn, co-founder and executive director of the Orange Home Grown Foundation.
Penn continued, “We believe food has the power to bring people together, and every Saturday our market celebrates these people, relationships, and local agriculture that makes Orange County such a special place to call home. The Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market has existed these past 15 years to create a healthier, more connected community by supporting local family farmers, increasing access to fresh food through our Market Match, EBT, and WIC programs, and creating meaningful experiences that bring people together.”