Colorful orchids absorb sunshine at the Santa Monica Main Street Farmers Market on Sunday, December 13, 2009.

(1) Jocelyn Schutte, 24, carries 6 pumpkins during the "All You Can Carry Pumpkin Patch at the Third Street Promenade on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. (2) Charlie Lucas, 21, carries 4 pumpkins during the "All You Can Carry Pumpkin Patch. (3) Chef From Houston's Peter Prime carry's pumpkins during the "All You Can Carry Pumpkin Patch. (4) Chef From Houston's Robert Harding carries pumpkins during the All You Can Carry Pumpkin Patch. (5) Jennifer Taft carries pumpkins during the "All You Can Carry Pumpkin patch at the Third Street promenade on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. (6) Santa Monica Police Captain Wendell Shirley, (center) Officer  Miguel Rodriguez, (left) and PAL Officer Austin Brown (right) carry pumpkins during the "All You Can Carry Pumpkin patch at the Third Street promenade on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. The pumpkins will be donates to the Santa Monica Police Activity League which will be decorated by the PAL youth and featured at the PALloween Carnival at Barker Hanger on Saturday. The PALloween Carnival is from 5pm to 9pm. Free entrance.

Fisherman Charlie Graham sells live Rock Crab at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Sunday, Aug 30, 2009. Charlie caught the rock crabs on Friday near Santa Cruz Island. The crabs sell for $3.95 per pound.

(top) Santa Monica Council Member Richard Bloom signs a pledge to drink tap water and avoid bottled water whenever possible during the “I Love Santa Monica Water” kickoff campaign at Santa Monica Farmers Marketon Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009.(center) Daniel Macias, 12, fills his plastic bottle with free filtered water at Santa Monica Farmers Market's filling station on Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009.

Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets and Food & Water Watch Partner to Launch “I Love Santa Monica Water” Campaign

Santa Monica, Calif. – On the forefront of a nationwide trend to kick the bottled water habit, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets today partnered with the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch to launch the “I Love Santa Monica Water” campaign by providing free filtered Santa Monica tap water at special self-serve station to all market customers and vendors. Former Mayor and current Council Member Richard Bloom demonstrated his support for the program by signing a pledge on behalf of the community to support tap water and avoid bottled water. The event marked the start of the markets’ ongoing effort to offer free filtered tap water at all four of its markets.

The campaign dovetails with Food & Water Watch’s “Take Back the Tap” campaign, which works to educate consumers and decision makers about the economic, social and environmental benefits of choosing tap water over bottled water. In addition to costing consumers thousands of times more than tap water, bottled water contributes to excess waste in landfills, and in most cases, is no safer or healthier than tap water.

“Farmers’ markets provide consumers with access to local food, but often water is left out of the equation,” said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “Drinking local water is less taxing on the environment, making it an essential component of the local food movement. Food & Water Watch is proud to partner with the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets to support local, public water systems and to go bottled water-free.”

After today, the campaign will be extended to the Saturday Pico and Sunday Main Street markets. “Santa Monica’s tap water is healthy and very economical compared to bottled water. I’ve been drinking our tap water for years,” said Kim O’Cain, Water Resources Specialist for the City of Santa Monica. “We hope the “We Love Santa Monica Water” campaign will help farmers’ market customers make the transition from disposable to reusable water bottles.”


Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization, works to ensure clean water and safe food in the United States and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink. For more information, visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.

Benjamin Ninadi, investigator form the Los Angeles County Agriculture Commissioner Weights and Measurements, inspect the produce, flowers and plants at Santa Monica Main Street Market on Sunday, July 26, 2009. Ninadi checked to confirm that the produce, flowers and plants were grown on the farmers land; he check to confirm that produce is certified organic and that the scales are accurate.

"Certified Farmers' Markets (CFM) were established in 1978, when then-governor Jerry Brown signed legislation known as the Direct Marketing Act. This enabled California farmers to sell their own produce directly to consumers at locations designated by the Department of Agriculture [such as a CFM].

Only California Certified Producers may sell agricultural products directly to consumers. All of the farmers who sell at the four Santa Monica Farmers market are certified as producers by the counties where they grow. Each county requires the submission of a production list complete with crop types, number of acres, location, estimated harvest and harvest season. From this information, a Producer’s Certificate is issued. The County Agricultural Inspector visits the farm during production to confirm that the farmer is growing what they claim to be. The grower is required to post thier Producer's Certificate at their booth while selling at a CFM."

Kevin Kuklish, who hails from Coilorado, sings and plays the guitar at the Santa Monica Downtown Farmers Market on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

(1) santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem, Richard Bloom, carries three pumpkins at the Third Street Promenade during the farmers market yearly 'All You Can Carry Pumpkins for $5.00,' on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. (2) Japhy Frolick, 10, and his sister (3) Phoebe Frolick, 6, carry a pumpkin during the event. (4) Siddharth KC, 1, plays in the all you can carry pumpkin patch on Wednesday.