I love going to the farmers market. It makes me feel
more in tune with the earth and the seasons. Each season brings an incredible
abundance of nourishing food. I so enjoy talking with the farmers and hearing
about how their planting and harvests are coming and getting to know them a bit
personally. They share useful tips regarding preparing the food they grow, they
give me the occasional gift of a food that I haven’t tried, and Barry at Bee
Blessed always has honey sticks for Colson and his friends (we meet lots of
friends at the market). I used to be an environmental lobbyist, but after
getting to know the small farmers, I will turn my talents and energies toward
protecting them against the onslaught by industrial/corporate farms to put them
out of business. My farmer lobbyist efforts will not start, though, until
Colson is older. I will talk more about industrial farms in a later post, so
keep reading the blog!
We are heading into the winter season in North
Carolina, and the variety of produce at the farmers markets is lessening. There
are still great foods to be purchased, though! Broccoli and Cauliflower are
coming into season, and the greens (kale, collard, mustard, etc.) and lettuces
are delectable. The hothouse tomato growers are here as well, and those
tomatoes are yummy. I celebrate every time I purchase non-perfect, slightly
buggy produce because I know that pesticide use is minimal or non-existent, and
the produce is healthy instead of genetically modified.
In addition to purchasing
healthy food and supporting the small farmers, the cost is remarkably reduced.
Last week I bought broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, tomatoes, green
peppers, 10 pounds of apples, a gallon of apple cider, romaine lettuce, onions
and cucumbers for under $40. I bought a lot of each and will have some left
over, reducing my bill this week. Whole Foods can’t beat those prices!
In addition to the changing foods, the seasons are also
marked by the flower and holiday vendors. We just said goodbye to the giant
pumpkins, and now the Christmas wreaths and Christmas trees are here. They the
most gorgeous cut trees I have seen. The pansies and mums have been out in
force, too. The cycle goes on and on, and the spring flowers will be gorgeous,
too.
I hope you find your local farmers market and make a
visit to see the riches the farmers have to offer. You really will be receiving
a gift by purchasing from them. You can find a farmers market at the Finding Farmers
link in the right column of this blog page.
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