Farmer’s Market
One of my favorite things about summer is FRESH PRODUCE! And from May through September, most Saturday mornings find me at my local farmer’s market (before I hit the weedeater, that is).
I grew up on a lot of land without a lot of cash, in an extended family household with decades of country wisdom, and young, strong backs to put that wisdom to use (backs like mine). That meant an enormous garden, weeded and harvested after school or after supper. Then there were hours spent on the front porch, shucking corn, hulling strawberries and stringing beans. When I would grumble, my great-aunt Virgie would cheerfully declare “this’ll taste better than snowballs this winter”!
I’ve grown my own gardens in the past, and battled groundhogs, drought, potato bugs and flea beetles. There is nothing quite as satisfying as cooking and eating food that you have grown from seed your own self! Yet, in recent years, every spring my husband (The Cutest Boy in the World) talks me out of planting a garden. He knows all too well that the most work (after planting) is required during the hottest, most miserable days of the summer here in Kentucky. The other family households on our farm grow gardens and graciously share excess produce with us, and I love going to our local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings.
The market is held in the parking lot of where our grocery store used to be, before they built the largest store in the STATE across the street (like we really needed that…). When I first started going about 15 years ago, there were 6 or 8 stalls. Now there are at least twice that many, and they make a double row, setting up at 8:30 am and closing at 12. If you get there much after 10, you will find meager leavings…
I love the seasonality of cooking what we find here. You won’t get strawberries in September or lettuce in August. That really makes me appreciate these foods when they’re available because you can’t get them later (and I’ve been known to eat a quart of warm, local strawberries all by myself). They’re also at their peak of flavor and nutritional value. I’m long over the “thrill” of eating something trucked in from half a world away – except for parmesan cheese, that is…
No soap scum or dry skin. I stock up to use all year and give as hostess gifts.
When I taught cooking, I realized that most of my students had never grown any vegetables, and had very little idea about plant biology. I drew a huge white-board artwork every semester with a line representing the surface of the soil, and all the things that grew above and below it, and what time of the year (where we live) that happened. I think of these as “shoots, fruits and roots”. The very first thing that grows here to eat is asparagus – the tender shoots springing from the earth when winter’s stores are looking meager. These are followed by lettuces and greens like spinach and kale – all the “shoots”.
As spring days lengthen to summer, the various vegetables produce their “fruit” – the fleshy bits containing their seeds. Now it’s time for the summer squashes, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and beans – the staples of my childhood summers. The hottest part of the summer is also when the kitchen was blazing from canning this bounty – but remember those snowballs?!?
Although you can get them earlier, late summer and early fall are when I think of the “root” crops – potatoes, turnips, fat carrots, turnips and parsnips. Although they’re not technically roots, I put the winter squashes – butternut, acorn and pumpkins – in this same category, because they can all be stored in a root cellar for the entire winter.
I’ve started setting aside a larger portion of my food budget for locally-raised meats. At the farmer’s market, I can get beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Almost all of it is organic, or at least raised on pasture rather than in a feed lot. I now know way too much about factory farming and what it has done to the health of America to feel good about eating it. Local meat is not cheap, and the epidemic has disrupted the schedules of the local slaughterhouses (a backup in getting animals “processed” – a polite term for slaughtering and butchering) to make the supply very erratic.
Our market accepts payment via government assistance, but there seems to be a fair amount of confusion about it. I watched a woman with small children struggle on Saturday to navigate the system. A bilingual person to help out would make it a lot easier.
I know how lucky I am to be able to afford food of this quality. I really feel these sustainable and environmentally-responsible producers are who we should be subsidizing, rather than industrial agriculture (or at least alongside). We’re so lucky to have a market like this a 10-minute drive from my house, and I treasure it.
Do you shop at farmer’s markets? Why or why not? Let me hear about it in the comments!
20 Comments
Nancy
Oh I love farm markets too but havn’t been there for a year or so. I love the super fresh and organic products.
Joan Hendrix
Thank you for sharing this important information. We are doing same, visiting our favorite farm stand over the local chain stores. Eating seasonally is challenging sometimes when we have certain habits! I love the local meats but we are also finding the uneven supply. We were low on everything and went to the farm stand. No luck! We ended up at Costco (90 minutes away) buying their organic choices. Bummer!
mkmiller
I’m trying to shop first, then meal plan, Joan. Guess it was like this in wartime – we’re so spoiled to having everything available all the time, eh?
mkmiller
Go get you some fresh stuff! Thanks, Nancy.
Pat Coll
I am second generation American and my extended family lived fairly urban in NW Ohio. We had a nice yard in an area surrounded by farm fields so we used to go to little “stores” in their garages to buy corn and tomatoes and sometimes we had a little garden. My mom would can and I recently retired and started A little last year. I totally believe what you said. My yard is too shady to plant and I do not have the energy to maintain a garden. I started frequenting farmers markets last year but haven’t been out much his year because of the virus but I think you are completely right these are the people we should be supporting.
mkmiller
Amen, Pat! I hope to start canning when I retire in a few years as well.
jodie filogomo
You are SO blessed to have this. Right now ours is nonexistent (but I think it’s more because of the heat than Covid). I can’t wait to go again. It’s the way we should be eating, when items are really fresh and at their peak.
And great-Aunt Virgie really knows what she’s talking about…LOL!!!
OXOX
JOdie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
mkmiller
The joys of a temperate climate!Looking forward to cooking for you when you visit.
Donna Nance
If you can’t raise it yourself, the farmer’s market is the place to go. You got quite a haul! Good shopping! The weather has not been very cooperative here so I wonder how the local markets are doing. I’m enjoying your blog and all your activities.
mkmiller
Thanks, Donna! Enjoying a break from the terribly hot weather for a few days – more adventures to come:)
Charlene H
I, too, love to frequent Farmers’ Markets. After offering extra credit to my HS students for viewing the 2008 documentary, “Food, Inc.”, based on Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, I would get asked where to shop for groceries. Sadly, not many families could afford the Farmers Market.
I find it ironic that around sixty years ago, it was very expensive to buy processed foods, i.e. we begged for TV dinners (!), and “cheaper” foods were the naturally grown ones. So opposite now.
Thankful to be living in an agricultural area of Southern California.
mkmiller
Charlene – I also showed Food Inc to my culinary arts students – it was always an eye-opener, as was “Super Size Me”. Huge Michael Pollan fan here. Our whole food system is totally backwards.
Janet Replogle
Love your vibrant pictures as always! I haven’t been to the market yet this year. Trying to limit my outings due to Covid. You’re inspiring me to get out there this weekend and support the local producers. Looking forward to it!
mkmiller
YAY – support your local farmers! Ours was 100% masked this past Saturday. Of course, our rockstar governor just made masks mandatory in all public places (LOVE him). I felt very safe.
Em
Oh, wow. Didn’t think about just how much I miss our markets until I read your post.
Pretty much every town in WNY has their own, but there are two that we frequent the most. You’ve just inspired a post, btw… However, mine won’t be nearly as informative as yours. (Also, much of our market produce comes with supermarket stickers, so clearly yours is the real deal!!!
Finally, “the cutest boy in the world” = 🥰
mkmiller
Thanks, Em – get back out there and get some honest food!
Ga6
Great post. I love farmers’ markets and am very fussy about eating good quality produce and local organic meat with animals kept in humane conditions. Thanks for sharing at #WowOnWednesday.
mkmiller
Thanks, Gail! Now I just need to move from standing looking into the open fridge with all those gorgeous things at 5:30 pm, and actually prepping, cooking and EATING them!
Kimberly F Malkiewicz
I love how you’ve captured the mood with your beautiful photos. Almost like being there. It’s so interesting that you know so much about growing vegetables. My grandparents and in-laws had small gardens. It’ s so wise to buy local meats. That’s something I’d like to look into. Thanks for the inspiration, MK.
mkmiller
Thanks, Kimberly! Locally-grown things are often more expensive, unfortunately, but I believe industrial agriculture is killing the planet and US!