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| from orlando-blogger.com |
What is one of the best ways to begin incorporating yourself into a community? Farmers' Markets! Why? Well . . .
The people selling their products at a Farmers' Market are local: meaning they live within a specific radius of the market, usually 100 miles or less. The implications for this are, oddly enough, far reaching. The farmers, cattlemen, millers (yes, there are still millers) and other craftsmen live in your area. The food transportation requires fewer fossil fuels to get to you. The food is always fresh (usually picked that morning). The farms are smaller, so the costs of pesticides and herbicides render them unprofitable for the producers. Your dollars stay local: you literally shake the hand that feeds you!
The region you live in frequently dictates the items in your market. Most areas sell tomatoes in the summer, cucumbers, greens, etc. But more specialized items reveal the nature of the local ecosystems. Peppers, specialized greens, squashes, flowers all change with the different markets. There is also the opportunity to check out local, usually ethnic, foods. In one of the Houston, TX Farmers' Markets they were selling empanadas (which I had never tried before), in Fairbanks, AK there is jewelry made from mastodon tusks, in Clarksville, TN there is newly spun woolen yarn. Honey, grain fed meat, petting zoos and natural body care products are also popular. Spending time in your local farmers' market gives you access to a cross-section of the population connected to the land.
We are headed out to the Seasonal Farmers' Market this morning, after hitting our local year-round Farmers' Market (it's in a hard side building here in Alaska). The kids will come with me; every market I have been to is child friendly and most people are willing to offer samples to the kiddos . . . honey is a favorite!
So, go check out your local farmers' market this weekend! If you don't know where it is, check these websites:
Going to your local market? Here are some things to make it more enjoyable! A guidebook with many recipes and reusable bags for all your wares! NOTE: Many markets take cash or check only!
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