By Whitney Butler

 

With 167,000 acres, or 50 percent of the total land, dedicated to farms and ranches in Marin County, early spring is an important harvest period for some of the area’s most delicious offerings: juicy apricots, oranges and lemons, and flavorful artichokes, asparagus, beets, peas, almonds and even olives. The land and sunshine offer a bounty of the freshest ingredients, ripe for the picking, and perfect for farm-to-table feasts.

Spring is in the air, and right now is an excellent time to visit Marin County and experience the early stages of harvest, for everything from quick bites to formal occasions.

 

Delicious Vegetables

Early-spring vegetables like artichokes are especially popular this time of year. You don’t have to look far in Marin to find these popular veggies in many farm-to-table restaurants.

Farmshop in Larkspur serves its artichokes extra crisp. Try the crispy artichokes with burrata cheese, blistered grapes, almonds and molasses.

From artichokes to beets, nobody does fresh veggies like Blue Barn in Corte Madera Town Center. Their arugula salad with sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, balsamic onion, crispy chickpeas and manchego cheese is to die for. But the best part about Blue Barn is the build-your-own-salad approach. Their winter UPick Salad menu is packed with local, seasonal veggies—everything from snow peas to roasted beets, asparagus, winter squash and radish, plus about 40 other fresh salad ingredients to make each bite your own. 

 

Uncompromising in Livestock

Livestock is a big part of the farm-to-table conversation. In Marin, animal husbandry is taken to new heights; farmers exercise strict, ethical guidelines to ensure the quality of Marin’s famous cheeses and meats is never compromised.

Marin’s natural resources have had a huge impact on the success of Marin’s dairy industry; ample farmland has made ethical animal husbandry more accessible for Marin restaurants and beyond.

Marin Coast Ranch is a family owned and operated private ranch, home to Purebred Angus cattle and a flock of hardy crossbred sheep.  With natural farming for beef and lamb, the ranch believes they are working in a partnership with the land to produce wholesome nutrients for a local community population. They are proud to offer humanely and sustainably raised beef and lamb in Marin and Sonoma County communities for local pick up. Raised in fresh air and on lush pastures of West Marin grass.

The Marin French Cheese Company has fresh milk delivered each morning from farms less than 15 miles away. They combine milk from Jersey, Guernsey and Holstein cows to create flavors you won’t find anywhere else; and that’s only the tip of the iceberg! Creameries abound in Marin, with the ever-popular Nicasio Valley Cheese Company.

 

For all you need to plan your Marin County vacation, visit the Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau’s website or Facebook page.