Our Farmer’s Markets are well into their fall season, which is my favorite time of the year. Even though last Saturday morning was gray and cool and the air was misty in our corner of Northern Colorado, all the vendors reported for duty.
The smell of roasting peppers was in the air. I don’t buy the peppers very often, but I love the smell. I did buy a lavender sachet from a vendor who featured all lavender and herbal products. I also received a free spritz of lavender oil on my wrist. The scent of peppers and lavender were an interesting combination.
There were still plenty of flower stalls. This one featured cut flowers in vases.
A local greenhouse presented this gorgeous assortment of my favorites, chrysanthemums. Note the vendor tending to this display was bundled up in his sweatshirt against the damp air.
Most of all, there were plenty of vegetables, from sweet corn to squash to melons to tomatoes. I bought three huge sweet potatoes, each one big enough to serve three people.
There are indoor monthly markets throughout the winter in our town where local vendors bring everything from cheeses to vegetables to wine to ranch grass-fed beef. I love the movement to grow, produce, and buy local.
It’s getting too late in the season for our Farmer’s Markets – I miss them 🙂
An added plus — The food just tastes better.
And to all, thanks for kind words about the photos. I carry my camera in my purse all the time now, but 90% of the time I forget it’s there.
Ciss — I advocate buying locally, but I don’t limit my diet or refuse to buy anything manufactured outside my county. I just try to go local when I have a choice. I also choose U.S. grown when I have a choice, but don’t hesitate to buy items from other countries when favorite items such as asparagus are out of season.
Cost can definitely be an issue for some items. Luckily, no one is forced to buy local. Merely encouraged to do so when practical.
I wish our farmer’s markets looked that nice.
Oh, it all looks delicious. And such beautiful photographs. Thanks!
Ann
I love the farmer’s market here! Your pictures make yours look very much like ours here in W Michigan.
Though I love to get things locally, I would so miss so many items that cannot be grown here! Bananas, avocados, I could go on and on. Also locally here there are many items that can be grown 100 miles South of us, but not here that I would miss.
Opening the markets up like we have done over the last fifty years with what we all considered “exotics,” at that time and then discouraging us from using them now because they, “aren’t local,” seems wrong. It’s like giving a kid candy, and then pulling it away and saying that NOW you cannot have it!
The other problem with buying locally has to do with the price. People who are struggling (and I know way too many that are really struggling!) and often can’t buy locally because they need to buy cheaply to simply be able to survive.
I wish there was a way to make it good for the farmers AND more affordable for everyone.
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Love the photos, Patricia! Locavore is definitely a new word in my vocabulary and it’s great that so many communities now have farmers markets on the weekends. Even the smallest towns manage to pull this off!
Wonderful post and photo’s a pleasure to visit.
Yvonne.
Good morning, everyone. When I was a kid growing up in Illinois, there were plenty of small roadside stands, but I don’t remember any markets like these. Could be because we had our own big garden and plenty of farm products, so there was no need to seek out the markets.
After living in France a couple of years and learning to love the outdoor markets there, I’m excited to see so many opportunities to buy local. We have at least three different summer/fall markets in our town, and the growing winter market as well.
I love this time of the year (in spite of the ragweed allergy that keeps me sneezing).
Since moving to Montana, we have attended the farmer’s market a handful of times. It’s on Wednesday evenings until the end of the month. Last week, I bought fresh lettuce from a local farm, bread & cukes from the Hutterites & the cutest eggplant I have ever seen. I love the farmer’s market!
Patti
I went to a farmer’s market in the country this weekend. It is small and lovely…
Patricia – Thanks for those lovely ‘photos! I agree that farmers’ markets are terrific places to poke around and find good things. It’s not as easy to find them where I live as it was where I grew up and when my husband and daughter and I lived in Illinois, but they are wonderful.
We have wonderful Farmers Markets here in Albuquerque as well. It’s nice that the movement is growing.
Karen