I was raised on local fruits and vegetables. If my mom wanted a fresh lettuce she just walked out into the backyard and picked one. No, I didn't grow up on a farm; my parents had a vegetable garden in our backyard complete with an organic composter. And they weren't hippies; just people who believed that homegrown tasted better.
Eating seasonally and locally has become a buzz phrase making my parents trendsetters way before it was trendy to eat as a locavore. I'm not sure if it's the freshness, the flavours, the fact I'm supporting my local farmers, or the memories that are evoked when I eat freshly picked produce, but I am hooked on my local farmer's markets. From mid-May to the end of October, I look forward to Tuesday mornings with great anticipation.
As with my parent's garden, the seasons at a market unfold bringing along new flavours every week. When strawberry season hits I indulge until raspberry season starts and then it's blueberry season and then blackberry season and just when you've eaten your last luscious local berry till next year's crop, the crisp juicy apples appear.
Before you run willy nilly, heady with farmer's market lust, here are some rules that will help you become an informed shopper.
Before you leave home:
• Pack a cooler and a cold source: Those just-picked berries will become jam and the organic eggs will be ruined if you don't take care of them on the way home.
• Bring small change and small bills: Don't expect a farmer to be gleeful as he's giving you change for a twenty when you only spent a loonie. Save your loose change all week for market days.
• Pack your own bags: Embracing a farmer's market isn't just about the freshness and flavours of homegrown, it's also about keeping our environment green. Put your money where your mouth is and bring your own bags.
• A buggy, a wagon or a Sherpa: No wonder farm people are fit, produce weighs a ton. I usually bring my bundle buggy or talk my husband or son into coming to help carry my treasures.
• Timing is everything: Arrive early to make sure that you get the best pick of the crop and the best parking spot. I set my alarm for 7:30 a.m. on market days so I can get there for 8:00 a.m. sharp.
2 Comments
I Really Miss This! We Lived in a Small Town! Amish Supplied the Local Tues. Market! Magor Cities Not the Same thing! To Chronically ill to go to the Nieghbourhood one! Tam.T.O.
I am a beekeeper and take my honey to market regularly. Your comment about labels is not the norm as most farmers can't afford to pay for labels and custom packaging. I print labels for my honey but this is not possible for most produce farmers. So Veg's from your backyard or small farm who grows organically will not likely have a label. In fact most of the farms that have labels will not likely be at the farmers markets at all. Instead selling to the broker that may go to markets for them. Brokers or more likely to do this as they don't have the cost of farming on their heads. They also know the advertising value of a label. It makes you think things are legit when, well who knows. As for farm plates. In truth there are many who have farm(agricultural) plates that don't grow spuds. Many who don't have an ag plate that do. A beekeeper for example can have agricultural plates but may not grow anything. A rancher, or tree farm can have agricultural plates yet not grow any produce. They could be at the market with others or distributor produce. They may have a ag plate yet not grow food. It simply means that make some money of agriculture and want to save on taxes. Others opt not to go through the hassle of a ag plate. They are the little guy growing good food on a small farm as a hobby. Not all markets have the same rules of who can sell or not sell at a given market. The best will allow ethical dealers, crafter's, and farmers to sell. Most are not worried about the ethical part. As a vendor at our local market I have seen may different types of folks selling. Some are brokers, some farmers, some like myself a bit of both. I sell my honey, and products from my associates that have similar values to myself. High quality, organically grown, sustainable produced foods, products and services. Others will tell you its organic from 'their' farm yet I know for a fact it comes from the local produce wholesaler. Or they farm by agbis standards and are telling you what you want to hear for the sale. It is more important to get to know the persons in the booth. Do you trust them to tell you the truth about the products they sell? It's not easy I know of a local honey producer with a high profile shop who mixes imported Chinese and Argentinian honey with his as sells it as his. Now he has to label the origins of the honey but not for local market sales. Opps truth in labeles. I buy from one vendor who grown most of his own but occasionally to fill the table will broker others. He tells me what is his and is not his and what he knows about what is not his. I then make my choice to buy or not to buy. Shanta organicfarming.ca