We know that farmers markets are starting to become ridiculously expensive. But if you want to beat inflation, and still find incredible local products, you need to travel to markets in the suburbs, or even the country.

From the Palm Springs Cultural Center to the celebrity scene at Calabasas Old Town one, the more far-flung markets will improve your health and your life — whether or not you walk out with fresh arugula or an empanada (or both). 

I know I feel like a million bucks when I leave any one of these markets.

The secret to health is taking life at a more relaxed pace, at the right farmers market. And it’s not just me who feels it. One study of over 5,000 market-goers found that more than three-quarters of them ate healthier after their visit, and almost half said they connected with people more. 

Getting out of the city forces you to eat better, and to talk to real people. 

Some say you can get that same health boost at the grocery store. I disagree. That’s why I have traveled long distances to “try out” as many farmers markets as I can. Here in SoCal, we have a smorgasbord when it comes to good spots. 

Encino (OK, still close to downtown LA) has its classic ONEgeneration Farmers Market on Sundays, which feels like it’s been open since Gaspar de Portolá decided to pay the Valley a visit. It’s so huge you can get lost (and I have). 

You can’t go wrong with the pupusas vendor, who also serves watermelon juice — and you can feel good about the calories, because a portion of the proceeds at the market goes to ONEgeneration’s senior programs, one of which pairs seniors up with kids in day care. 

Further south, the La Jolla Farmers Market is like a giant playground where your kids are going to want to move in and never again come home. There’s live music and sometimes even a petting zoo. I’ve felt borderline overstimulated when I’ve visited. My kid, meanwhile, asked whether we can live there. 

Then there’s the good old Calabasas Old Town market, where you’ve got to squeeze into tiny aisles to grab some of the best indie food brands you’ll find on this side of the 101, though there’s never any parking. It’s like trying to somehow park and get into the Chateau Marmont on a Friday night. 

But the best part is, like at Marmont, you’ll get to rub elbows with your favorite celebrities, athletes and influencers. So come well-dressed, because someone will walk by you with a tiny dog and a kale stuffed inside a Birkin.

The most grounded farmers market scene is the one at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. It’s small, but comfortable, and I’ve found the freshest fruit, even way out there in what felt like 130-degree heat.

A short time ago, I met Fei and Violet, who hit me with a mango banana kombucha slushie, and gave my little one a copy of a signed book that encourages fresh food and reading for kids. (It was the tastiest slushie I’ve had in years, and it made the Palm Springs heat feel almost bearable — almost.) 

And Temecula may be known for wine country, but its own farmers market in Old Town is a tightly run show where you wait in a line that goes around the market just to get the best pastries in town.

The town is home to hundreds of farms, so their produce is particularly fresh, and the prices are good. If you go and don’t try the Original Banana Pudding, you’re failing at life. 

So LA can keep its peptides and pricey salmon sperm serums because the best-kept anti-aging secrets are elsewhere — and all around us.

This weekend you’ll catch me doing my new anti-aging routine, tote bag ready, off to find some kale and a good conversation. 

Ann Dunning is an author and entrepreneur in SoCal wine country. 

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