Harry's Berries: Better Produce, Fresher Taste

The West Hollywood Farmers Market is a wonderful place to teach children about where their food comes from. Last year, first lady Michelle Obama planted a garden at the White House and along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack launched an initiative called Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food as a way to support small farms.

The campaign was created so people would start discussing local and regional food systems and explore how food actually gets onto our plates.

One of my favorite farmers at the market is Kris Gean of Harry's Berries, a family-owned and operated farm in Oxnard. Every week, Gean welcomes customers to his stand with a smile and some of the freshest berries and vegetables to be found in California.

"My grandfather, Harry Iwamoto, started growing strawberries in the '60s," Gean said. "My parents, my two sisters and I now operate the farm with other family members."

The Gean family use to sell exclusively to wholesalers, but years ago they cut out the middleman and started to sell directly to consumers at area farmers markets.

"People don't realize that buying direct from the farmer is such a great way to support us," Gean said. "And in the process you're also getting better produce with a fresher taste."

When a farmer sells to a wholesaler, they have to pick the fruit when it is still firm so it will withstand the transportation. There's also the need for a shelf life once the produce reaches the wholesaler because it then has to be distributed and transported one more time to grocery stores.

"Taste a strawberry at the grocery store, and then taste one of ours," Gean said. "We're able to pick them when the berries are red, juicy and full of flavor. They still travel well to the farmers market and they still have a shelf life, but they're also meant to be eaten and enjoyed when you buy them."

Harry's Berries is also known for its selection of flavorful vegetables such as French green beans (haricot verts), Blue Lake green beans and yellow Italian wax beans that are good sautéed with onions, garlic and tomatoes. This week the farm had two types of cherry tomatoes to use for the recipe: Red Cherry and Juliet, a red grape tomato.

This time of year Harry's Berries won't be so prevalent at the market because the farm needs to prepare for the shift into winter. Gean and his berries will be at the West Hollywood market for only a few more weeks, so you may want to stop by and stock up while you still can. Gean also sells canned items that would be nice to open in the middle of winter. The family makes salsa, dill beans and raspberry and strawberry preserves.

"We have to scale back in our production because we need to rotate the crops in the soil," Gean said. "It's not because of the weather. Here in California we can grow our berries underneath the white tents where we control the climate, but it's more important to let the soil breathe."

There's a French term that has recently become fashionable in the American foodie world--terroir—which means knowing the earth where the product comes from. A great way to show children the importance of knowing the farm and farmer is to take them to the actual farm.

The Gean farm will arrange a visit where you can tour the farm and actually pick some of the berries to purchase.

The farm also hosts an afternoon picnic where families are invited to bring their own lunch to eat after a guided tour. For adults, the Geans host a dinner on the farm. A local chef prepares a multi-course gourmet dinner using ingredients from the farm and it's served right there next to the fields.  For more information on these events, please call 805-659-4568 

The West Hollywood Farmers Market is held every Monday (rain or shine) from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the north parking lot at Plummer Park, 1200 N. Vista Street. Parking is limited, so allot time and be patient. Call market manager Beth Smith at 323-848-6534 for more information.

David De Bacco is a writer living and celebrating life in Los Angeles. He has worked for some of the world's most famous chefs and restaurateurs, and along the way he became a little savvy about food and wine. He has published articles and cookbooks for Shibata Publishing Co. in Tokyo and is a contributing writer for Edge Publications. He is also the creator of the Cookin' with Mama blog, a meeting place to share recipes from our mothers.