Summer is here! The birds are singing about it, and the calender agrees, even if it does insist on being cool and rainy up in North Idaho.
I love Summer. It promises happy times–barefoot days, watermelon feasts and picnics, and it is the season to stock up on Fresh, for winter is coming.
One of my favorite things about summer, besides the clothesline, watermelon, sandals and picnics, is going to Farmer’s Markets. Twice, now, I’ve had the thrill of catching a glimpse of a small sign that told the time and gathering place for one of the most amazing opportunities of the season–the chance to support and to encourage the art of Farming.
Really, Farms and Farmer’s Markets had intrigued me from the time I was a child, and to see those wistful vision of a tent-like village of stands and stands of a myriad of beautiful things made me giddy and feel as excited as a little girl again.
I love the produce stands. The colors and variety of fresh produce is tantalizing, from the freshly picked corn, to the bunches of basil, baskets of tomatoes and new potatoes and the Rocky Ford melons and Palisade Peaches of Colorado. It really is a paradise of color, texture and flavor, and I love to wander through the aisles, cloth bags in hand, and collect the week’s produce, fresh from the farm.
More often than not, you can get the best produce for prices you’d never find in the stores. And I can pretty much guarantee that it tastes so much better, that even if it wasn’t cheaper, it’s fresher, it is better for you–it would still be worth every penny.
Buying locally isn’t just about the fresh and the environment–it keeps the family farms going, and enables those who have the talent and ability to pass on to another generation the legacy of growing and sharing.
I can’t have a farm of my own right now, and I may not have the ability to make a difference in large ways, but I count it my little part–to support a cause I wholeheartedly believe is worth more of our attention.
America was a farming country, and it kept us strong. The hard work didn’t kill anyone. I rather think it saved more than one young person from evil that comes with idle hands and too much ease. We’re starting to lose that vision, and with more and more of our food being brought in from other countries, with sprays and poisons being more and more questionable, it’s time to go back to our roots, to growing our own food, and buying our own products once again. And it’s something I’m thrilled to have my chance to be a part of.
Of course, there’s a whole lot more than just farm products, and I have to say–that Pecan Brittle that the Woodland Park Colorado Farmer’s Market sold last summer was really one of the best sweet treats I’ve had, and that fresh baked European bread with pasta couldn’t be beat.
Not all of us are blessed with Farmer’s Markets, and not every Farmer’s Market has very much to offer. I wonder, though, if more of us didn’t make it a point to support and be a part of Farmer’s Markets across the country, if that wouldn’t change. And just maybe, if you look around, you’ll find your own little paradise in the your town!
Check your local newspaper, ask around town, take a look at Local Harvest, an excellent farmer’s market resource, and see if there happens to be a u-pick farm or local market near you. And then, go and enjoy it. Remember, it’s first come, first get. Supplies are limited to what the Farmer brought in his truck and those who arrive early get the pick of the crop, so best to get there before the sun gets hot.
You might even want to take that “In Season Only” challenge, and create a seasonal menu using only ingredients found on your trip to the market. You could even take it a step further, and also choose only what’s produced within 100 miles of your front door, but that’s a challenge not to take lightly if you live in the Colorado Rockies, at least.
And if you’ve never really explored the world of freshly grown produce, and have pretty much stuck to the what’s familiar, take a little step out of comfort zone and try something new if you can find it, and if you don’t know what to do with it, ask the Farmers! They may be able to give you a few tips and you may discover you’ve got a new favorite. That’s how I discovered that I should have been a melon farmer.
So, this summer, you’ll find me at my local Farmer’s Market, reveling in the beauty of fresh, beautiful fruits and veggies, stocking up on local produce–and trying not to find any more peanut brittle–thanking God that we still can buy locally grown, locally made. It’s the best way.
Photo of Craig Harding, Summer 2003, after a stop to our very first “real” roadside produce stand on the edge of a farm in North Carolina. That first farm fresh watermelon and the cantelopes and onions we bought didn’t last long at all.
7 Comments
I love farmer’s markets! We have one in our town and one the town over. They’re one of the best places to get produce, and some local craftspeople sell some lovely things, too. Another thing we have locally is a produce co-op, which I used to be a member of but am not anymore. You pay a certain amount of money per week and you get a big basket of fresh, mostly local produce. It was just too much for us to eat! Maybe when we have some little ones, we’ll go back to it.
Thanks for writing this. We definitely should support local farmers!
Down here in Oklahoma (where I have been transplanted from Maine since getting married 6 months ago), they have the most delicious, juicy, sweet, locally grown peaches at the Farmer’s Market right now. But you have to get there at opening time to get them, or they are all sold out. Talk about a good reason to get up early!
I love fresh Farmer’s Market Produce!!
Thank you for the lovely article and the shout out to support our local farmers. I agree, 100%!
We tried to sell various items at our local FM but didn’t do so well. Maybe we’ll try again sometime. Our little one is now at a point where they have to decide to go certified or not…
I’d rather not go that direction as there really isn’t any advantageous to the growers; they end up having to pay a fee to get the certification.
But even if we don’t sell, there is always something yummy to buy…. from fresh plums to cabbage to fresh cut flowers to goat milk soap… the list is endless and those farmers surely are creative!
I agree, Farmer’s Markets are fun!
If you don’t mind my asking, Chantel, where in North Idaho are you? Because that’s where I am, too! As for the cooler weather you mentioned. . .I guess it’s gone now! 
Thanks for the delightful article!
It’s gone, for sure, and I’m certainly not feeling overly sad about it.
Home grown produce always taste better than the produce you can purchase at the store! Going to farmers markets can be a tasty and rewarding experience.=^)
My family and I are certified Organic farmers in North Dakota and we have a large garden as well, so I look at things from a different angle than you do when I think of a Farmer’s Market.
When we first moved to this area 5 years ago, we sold garden produce, fresh bread, herbal salve we made, and pasturized cream (from our dairy) at the local farmer’s market. As it was in a small town, almost everyone had their own gardens and we never sold much garden produce, but our other items went over well. My mother got very ill at that time and we stopped going to market, but we’ve had thoughts about going back and selling there again… So, I’d just like to thank you for this article, as we farmers really do a LOT of work for our pretty little stand and it really is encouraging when people support us in our efforts. Enjoy that fresh, healthy produce!