Finding Farmers' Markets - Fountain Valley, CA

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

For the past month or two months, I kept seeing a lighted construction sign on my drive to work that said Fountain Valley had a farmers' market on Thursdays from 5-8pm at Mile Square Park. Curious as to why there would be such a blatant sign blinking at all drivers every moment of the day and night, I found out that this is a new development for the city of Fountain Valley. A trial run of a farmers market to last for four months (started May 1st), this gathering of vendors is a way for the city to join the other 21 certified farmers' markets in Orange County in providing their community with fresh fruits and vegetables. We just had to stop by one Thursday to see how well this (somewhat) inaugural farmers' market run was doing.

“We wanted another way to provide a community gathering type event, and farmers markets are great for people to get their fresh fruits and vegetables. We hope to also include our local businesses to show them off, too.” - Matt Mogensen, assistant to the city manager

Located at the Mile Square Park recreation center (Brookhurst and Heil), the farmers' market surprised us with the variety of food, activities, farmers, and vendors. The city had once had a farmers' market before but poor curating of vendors and marketing led to its collapse; however, the revived market seems to have a touch of success involved already. We could tell by the vendors present that the manager must have had something to do with other OC farmers' markets such as the Great Park one in Irvine. A huge difference in this market versus other ones we've visited is the emphasis on being family friendly. It only makes sense at Mile Square Park!

If you are coming from the south side of Brookhurst towards the farmers' market, the first thing you might spot are the giant inflatables. The children were all over this part, and families gathered happily around the food vendors. The timing seemed right though - being situated so close to residences and park visitors and held near dinner time, the Fountain Valley farmers' market is good business for food trucks and vendors. We spotted some hot-off-the-grill items, the Calbi food truck, and even a cart that featured stuffed churros. Yum.


Admittedly, the produce selection was quite limited during our visit. The market has only been in place about a month now so there is still room for growth (and plenty of actual space for it too!) but the essentials were there. Lettuces, roots, fruits, stalks, chards, and so forth, you name it. I did notice though that not every vendor had the same price so you might find tomatoes for a better deal down the row. This detail struck me as a little strange but again, still a new market.

The most interesting booth and actually the busiest was the SunnyCal Farms spot with a wide variety of hybridized fruits from varieties of pluots to berries to peaches. Since one of the best ways to convince a person to buy food is to offer samples, the tastings were abundant and even I nearly gave in to whisking away bags of the ripe, juicy fruits myself!


Speaking of more specialized vendors, there was more than just pluots. A knowledgeable and educating group of people flagged us down to talk to us about organic sprouts and their benefits. I believe these are the same vendors as the ones at the Orange Home Grown Farmers' Market who had just as impressive a display. You could also find several crafts booths with jewelry and bags, a bedsheets guy, representatives from the city's water and parks services, a gluten-free bakery, two oil booths of olive oil and avocado oil, an organic pet food spot, and even a candlemaker. The market may be small but it has several unique items.


I would recommend coming to this farmers' market if you have small children who need to be entertained while you shop; there is plenty to do at the park and especially on the inflatables. Get a snack from the nearby hot food vendors and then head down to pick up your few groceries (staples, not many specialty items). If you're even feeling like getting some gorgeous eggs from Kepner Farms in Lake Elsinore or their free-range chicken, there is plenty to be had.

Overall, a (currently) small market with much promise. I'll continue to keep an eye out for this Fountain Valley Farmers' Market and see how it grows over time! If you plan on visiting, it is located at 16400 Brookhurst St. in Fountain Valley and will probably take you about thirty minutes to walk through if you're shopping.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.