"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” - J.R.R Tolkien
When I lived in Georgia, almost everyone had a garden. Even the “city folk” had a small garden patch in their backyard. In the small town that we lived in, there were a dozen or so veggie stands set up around busy intersections as soon as weather permitted. When I moved to Indiana, I began to go to our local farmer’s market for my family’s fresh veggies.
There are obvious reasons to haunt the farmers’ market. By shopping at the source, you’ll get fresher food, give a boost to the local economy, and support the environment. Simply stated: When you buy food that’s been grown locally it tastes better.
Fruits and vegetables that have been shipped a long distance have been picked earlier than they would have been if they’d been grown in your region, which can have a great impact on flavor.
Encounters at a farmers’ market are bound to be more personal than those at a supermarket where you hand over your money and walk away with a plastic bag of groceries. The driving force behind supermarkets is to make as much money as possible while hard working farmers grow and supply produce in the rain, hail, or shine. Farmers do it for the love of food, not for money.
Time spent in your local farmers’ market is likely to make your meals a bit healthier and may stretch your culinary horizons. You’ll not only become more aware of what you put in the pan when you cook, but you’ll be more likely to experiment with new ingredients. This week I’ll be looking for recipes for Swiss Chard as I’ve never used it before in my life!
And lastly, talking with the farmers is also a learning experience for our children who may not know that vegetables actually come with dirt on them, not from a can on the shelf, and not from a bag in the freezer. To find a farmers’ market in your area, just click here.
Powered by Compendium Blogware
Comments for Indiana Farmers' Markets