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Santa Barbara Farmers’ Markets Farm Stands And Gourmet Shops

July 2, 2019

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SHOP LOCAL FOR FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MORE

Farmer selling organic veg at Santa Barbara Farmers market on a sunny day

The Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market offers some of the freshest produce on the West Coast. You can also find an incredible selection of local goods at these markets. The bounty is due to our abundant sunshine combined with our moderate climate that produces a year-round cornucopia of fresh produce. The healthy amount of rain we have experienced over the past few years have helped too. Much of the food you will find at any of the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Markets is grown organically.

Read: Santa Barbara Recognized As One of the Best Small Cities in the Nation

Residents can shop farmers’ markets here every day of the week except Mondays. That means six days of freshness. While they are all worth a visit, the signature event is held on Tuesday afternoons, when downtown’s State Street morphs into the ultimate place to be, with food, music, and our beautiful residents. Follow the white-jacketed chefs snapping up thick bunches of fresh herbs to use that night. You’ll have your choice of delicious organic and locally grown fruits, vegetables, farm-raised meats, artisan cheeses, mouth-watering pies, jams, and vibrant tropical flowers for sale at Farmers Market stands throughout the county. You can also go home with delicious just-caught local sea bass or black cod.

Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market Schedule

Tuesday | Santa Barbara Old Town

Farmer presenting hot chilli pepper wooden background. Pepper harvest concept. Rustic farmer in straw hat likes spicy taste. Man hold pepper harvest. Bearded farmer hold chilli red pepper in hand.

500 & 600 blocks of State Street

3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (winter); 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (summer)

Wednesday | Solvang
Copenhagen Drive & 1st Street
2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (winter); 2:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (summer)

Thursday | Carpinteria
Downtown Carpinteria along Linden Street
3 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Friday | Montecito
1100 & 1200 blocks of Coast Village Road
8 a.m.-11:15 a.m.

Saturday | Santa Barbara Downtown
Corner of Santa Barbara Street & Cota Street
8:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Sunday | Camino Real Marketplace
Corner of Storke Road & Hollister Avenue
10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Santa Barbara Farm Stands

Shop at a number of local farms any day of the week. These farm stands offer more than delicious fruits and veggies. Many invite visitors to enjoy a hands-on experience.

Read: The fine art of outdoor dining

Take Apple Lane Farm, for example. There you can pick your own gala, golden and red delicious, Fuji, and granny smith apples. Restoration Oaks & Blueberry Farm allows visitors to harvest their own seasonal blueberries during the spring and summer months. Besides being the key ingredient to the most delicious home-made blueberry pies, local blueberries have been known to make killer jam to enjoy all year round. Or visit Fairview Gardens, the 100-year old organic urban farm in Goleta. The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens is a non-profit organization established in 1997 to preserve and operate the organic farm while building connections between community, food, and agriculture. Here you will find an impressive selection of fresh, organic produce. You can also tour the farm anytime you like.

Santa Barbara Gourmet Shops and Markets

Explore the nook-and-cranny shops where treasures can be found around every corner. We’re talking delicious gourmet olives, olive oils and nuts, baking vanilla, artisan popcorn, kettle chips, trail bars, herbs and spices, and chocolates made by French chocolatiers.

Read: Add Value to Your Home With a Chef-Inspired Kitchen

Santa Barbara’s premier gourmet cheese shop, Cheese Shop Santa Barbara  (formerly "C'est Cheese") features more than 100 artisan cheeses from all over the world. Visiting the shop is a real treat since they offer samples. Then there is the meat case which features over a dozen types of salami as well as Italian prosciutto and Spanish jamon. Don’t miss the signature products made in-house, like their famous granola, cheddar biscuits and dark chocolate dipped almond biscotti. Yum!

Rancho Olivos, located about 45 minutes away, offers complimentary tasting too. But here, you’ll be treated to delicious fresh estate extra virgin olive oil made from olives grown on the farm. The fruit for their award-winning premium olive oils are hand harvested from their very own Spanish and Italian olive trees supply. Spend a weekend at Rancho Olivos’s unique, peaceful, rustic guest house set on the 20-acre olive ranch in the beautiful countryside of Santa Ynez Valley. You can also order some of their liquid gold from their website, in case you run out.

Then there is the Santa Barbara Public Market where you can taste an amazing array of handcrafted culinary delights. Located in a bright and modern LEED-certified space in the heart of downtown, you’ll find a wide selection of artisanal food and drinks to please any palate, all locally sourced. Whether you’re in the mood for sweet or savory, light or hearty, the Public Market is brimming with tempting choices. The Santa Barbara Public Market is also home to a commercial kitchen and hosts a variety of special public events throughout the year, including wine, cheese and beer tastings, cooking classes, demonstrations, and live music. 


The bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, coupled with a culture that prioritizes working to live rather than living to work, has helped turn Santa Barbara into a heaven for foodies. Are you a foodie looking to move here? Then call me at +1 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com and I’ll find you the perfect home close to one of the amazing Santa Barbara Farmers’ Markets.


 




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Client Reviews

“It was an emotional experience selling our mother’s home in Montecito that we all loved so much but Cristal made the process easier on our whole family by guiding us through the transaction every step of the way. She knows the market so well and everything she recommended was on point including the asking price, painting, and staging the home, which looked beautiful and helped the buyer envision her new home. We sold it the first day it hit the market with an offer above asking! Cristal did an incredible job communicating with us and the buyer to ensure that the transaction would run smoothly. We highly recommend using Cristal, she was a pleasure to work with! ”

- J & A

“Cristal is a pleasure to work with! Her knowledge of the local real estate market coupled with her amazing listening skills resulted in her showing us an array of homes that were all excellent choices. Her low-pressure patient attitude made us feel extremely comfortable with the whole process. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

- M.F.

“Cristal Clarke is #1 in her field - and you don't become #1 by luck. Cristal works harder, and longer, and with more charm and patience than any real estate agent I have ever worked with in the past; her calendar has no weekend, her days have no clocks, her only concern is selling your property as soon as possible and for the best price on the market. Am I a fan? You bet!”

- P.B.

“We have used Cristal now several times and cannot express how grateful we are for her expertise, dedication, and unwavering support throughout the entire home-buying process. Cristal is knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Her attention to detail is remarkable, and she consistently went above and beyond to provide us with all the information and resources we needed to make informed decisions. Cristal is a skillful negotiator and advocate. She can navigate complex negotiations with professionalism and grace and felt like a true partner to us in the home-buying process. Cristal has a genuine passion for real estate and a deep commitment to her clients' satisfaction. I cannot speak highly enough of Cristal and her exceptional service. She is a true expert in her field and her dedication to excellence, combined with unwavering support is the reason we choose to work with her for all our real estate buying needs.”

- T.C.

“Cristal is a top-notch realtor who sold my home before it ever went on the market. I had two competing offers that enabled me to get top dollar for my home. Not only is Cristal superb but her team is extraordinary. I cannot say enough about Cristal and her team. They are simply phenomenal, the consummate professionals, who took care of every possible detail, making the sale and transition period, smooth from our end. They are also lovely, caring people, who knew all the right professionals, to get the job done. Thank you, everyone!”

- D.R.

“I could list lots of cool adjectives to describe Cristal. All good by the way. But, that is not why I or anyone should hire Cristal. My reason for hiring her, which proved to be correct, is very simple. She got the job done. And, she does it time and time again and with zero issues. And, that is why she is one of the top agents in the country. End of subject. ”

- M.A.

“Working with Cristal was a complete pleasure. Cristal was extremely patient with us as we evaluated nearly 2 dozen homes over a span of 2 years. Her knowledge of the market is unmatched. Cristal provided us with exceptional counsel as we evaluated opportunities and negotiated pricing. The closing process was handled thoroughly and efficiently. We could not be happier with our purchase and even more happy to now call Cristal our friend.”

- D.K.

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch