My favorite part of Summer is visiting the local Farmer’s Market. Fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby farms. Beautiful flowers, local honey and of course, wonderful homemade dessert and snacks. I have worked at several companies that have a Farmer’s Market at work, which makes it very convenient to get fresh food each week.
When I was growing up, we had smaller grocery stores in each neighborhood. The milkman delivered milk and dairy products to your home. Along with that, farmers would drive up and down the streets selling fresh fruits and vegetables out of the back of their truck. Getting fresh apricots and juicy plums from the farmers were a favorite in our house. Unfortunately, as the larger grocery chains came to the cities, the farmers stopped coming around and the milkman disappeared.
Lucky for us, Farmer’s Markets have made a resurgence in the cities. I like knowing where my food comes from and am happy to support local farmers. When a farmer sells local, all the money is going back into their pocket. No middleman.
When you purchase something at a larger grocery chain, you really don’t know what country it is coming from. The food may sit on trucks and planes for long-distances. The more local your food is, the better the taste. Fruits and vegetables sold close to home are picked at their peak. They are typically sold within 24 hours of harvesting. You can’t get any fresher than that.
When I was a Personal Chef, I would visit the local Farmer’s Market to ensure I was getting fresh food. I was also able to purchase heirloom varieties that I wouldn’t be able to find at a store. I could hand pick each item, talk to the farmers to find out if they were growing organic or using GMO seeds and pesticides.
You can find Farmer’s Markets near you by visiting the USDA Local Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory.
