Hooked on Farmer's Market

I'm sure my farmer's market is much like the one that happen everywhere else-- A parking lot, full of pickup trucks and farmers standing behind crates of red tomatoes, pale melons, bulbous squash or whatever is in season.

Here's what makes the experience great for me. Lately, after reading Ishmael and hanging out at the Clear Creek food co-op, I got turned onto eating local organic food.

That's what got me started. I visited Lucy and Eugene from Boulder Belt at their booth. They have a wide variety of organic produce and they have become my first stop when I visit the market.

What keeps me coming back is the experience. I love the personal connection with my food and the people who grow it. I say "Tell me about this little tomatoes".

"Those are grape tomatoes. Here, try one." Grape tomatoes are awesome! The size of grape, I get two little baskets each week and eat them as snack food.

I can ask "How hot are these are peppers here?" and I find out just what I want. It's more than the great service, fresh food and good information though-- I enjoy seeing the same people vending there each week and knowing that behind them there isn't a supply chain of distributers, warehouses and disgruntled workers stretching back to South America. I can talk to Bill, who is admittedly just goofing off selling his berries, or the Amish folk who always have fresh whole wheat bread and jam, or the anonymous folk who frequently have huge bunches of fresh flowers for $2.00 (I should really introduce myself.)

So now it's almost October and the Farmer's Market is soon to end for the year. Now I need to make I new discovery: If I want to eat in-season local food in Indiana during the winter, what do I do? I suppose if I'm serious about this I better get to canning and freezing. We'll see.

Here's a pointer if you'd like to find a Farmer's Market in your area.

-mark