To Market, To Market
For the Health of It
Do you question where you food comes from? Are you interested in how your food is grown and handled? Would you like to support more local family farms vs. corporate farms, say, 1500 miles away? Do you ponder the environmental impacts of your food choices?
Given our world of brightly lit supermarket aisles proudly displaying picture-perfect fruits and vegetables, massive distribution warehouses where foods sit in waiting, questionable post-harvest handling practices (i.e. the recent E. coli outbreaks from spinach), inhumane and toxic feedlots, and less-than-flavorful produce harvested before its time in a faraway land, now is the time of year to visit your local organic farmers’ market and experience the difference.
Some farms have been in the farmers’ families for generations; other farmers are just starting out. For the most part, farmers who sell directly to consumers care for their land and incorporate sustainable growing practices to keep their soil healthy. They also treat their animals a humane fashion, creating high-quality meats and dairy and reducing the cultivation of disease. Growing practices that are good for the health of the land and livestock are certainly better for our health.
Each farmers’ market has different rules for what may be sold, but generally a product must be grown, raised, or produced (baked, canned, etc.) by the farm selling it. Definitions of “local” and “regional” vary, but are often defined as being from within a town, county, state, or within a specific radius. It is always understood that food at a farmers’ market comes from smaller, independent farmers and producers, rather than large, agricultural corporations. Be aware of the difference between vendors at the City Market in the River Market that obtain produce from wholesalers and sell it cheap and the true family farmers in the parking lot stands on weekends. These smaller farms are also able to produce unique varieties that won’t be found in your local supermarket.
The changing seasons determine what produce is available at farmers’ markets, which is a delicious and healthful way to eat. Local, organic produce isn’t harvested prematurely, meaning that you get optimal nutrients from the soil and juicy, savory fruits and vegetables. Eating seasonally also keeps us in touch with the rhythms of the climate and our natural environment, which we city dwellers can sometimes get out of tune with.
Building Relationships
Visiting your local organic farmers’ market is also a great way to build community, both with your fellow shoppers and the growers. And it’s a great way to deepen your relationship with food, familiar and not so familiar. It’s so fun and rewarding to incorporate those once-obscure kohlrabies or heirloom tomatoes into your meals and be left anxiously awaiting more from next week’s market.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask the farmer when your favorite fruit or vegetable will be available, how long its growing season is, and what they would recommend in the meantime. Instead of showing up recipe-in-hand and scouring for the ingredients at the market, choose what looks best to you and then discover new and exciting ways to feature the bounty. Most farmers are eager to share their favorite ways to prepare your new treasures. My guess is that they’ll have some recipes off the top of their heads that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
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