Food Farmer's Markets

I wonder about that too at our farmer's markets. I see a lot of products from North Carolina and Michigan, but I don't think they would drive all the way here for 6 hours of selling.

Next year, I want to get more into fresh food and cooking, but I have to get some things done first.

 

Just received the spring crop sign up email from my CSA.

But I've been swayed to a new source with not just seasonal veg and fruit boxes, but the best chocolate chip cookie dough in the country....and they deliver too!

Washington Green Grocer

 

Mrs. Levite and I go to some of the farmer's markets in our area during the late Spring to mid-Autumn seasons. We like to support local, organic growers. And there are a few items of produce that one can get in the Midwest that are of very high quality: chiefly sweet corn and apples, and dairy. But all too often, what we find at the farmer's markets here isn't even as good as the organic produce at Whole Foods. The big exception was when we went to Amish country, and went to their local farmer's market: amazing produce, incredible cheeses, and many other wonderful goods-- butter, preserves, baked goods, etc.

We really miss the farmer's markets we used to go to in Venice and Santa Monica, when we lived there. The produce was absolutely phenomenal, beyond all belief. We used to love going there just to look at the gorgeous fruits and vegetables, and to taste the cheeses and juices and other things people had made.

As for CSA, we got a CSA box last summer as a gift from the cantor at Mrs. Levite's synagogue: we thought it was disappointing. The produce was very so-so, and all too often, it was just big bunches of kale or collard greens or things like that, which I tend to think taste like ass at best. I had a better experience with CSA when I was in rabbinical school: a bunch of us rab students went in on a double box, and divvied up the produce ahead of time by favored types: so one guy claimed all the carrots and summer squashes, another guy claimed all the lettuces and tomatoes, one girl had all the kale and similar greens, one girl and I shared the beans and corn and onions, and we all split the fruits and potatoes equally, as well as the large squashes and melons. That worked pretty well, and occasionally there were a few trades, but mostly people walked away with what they wanted and could use. Better produce quality, too, of course, being that it was in California.

 

I can only hope and pray there are good farmers' markets in Lake Charles.

 

Go quite often to a local farmers market. I really like the fresh meats without the antibiotics and growth hormones.
Also another advantage is that the organic fruits and vegetables are not genetically modified.
Almost all wheat, rice, corn in the US are GMO's.

I love the organic baby bok choy!

 

This past Saturday, my parents started working the Greenwood Farmer's Market, selling herbs, fresh and dried. They grow tons of sage, oregano, chives, even some cayenne pepper (not an herb, I know), but they're probably really going to make their mark as The Mint People. Pineapple mint, sweet mint, peppermint, chocolate mint, apple mint....they grow more varieties of mint than I've ever heard of. There are, of course, booths for plants and produce, along with a meat vendor selling beef, pork, and goat. And there's a bee farmer selling raw honey for a notably better price than I can find retail. Nothing beats raw local honey.

 

Local distillery just got up and running and is selling at our market now.
Liquor isn't my thing but it's a nice variation to see for sale there.

 

I'm curious... do any of you remember how much the farm eggs were selling for at your local markets? I sell mine to my co-workers (the demand is great - I don't ever get to eat them myself) for $3 a dozen, but I'm told at the Portland Saturday Market, some sellers are asking $7 per dozen. That makes my head spin. I can't imagine spending $7 for a dozen eggs, but apparently people do...

 

Thanks for the input, Borla. I used to give mine away, too (to food banks) - when I was getting 20+ per day, but that's when I was new to this area and didn't know anybody.
Over time, I've lost a few birds and met people who very much want to buy my eggs, so my little egg market has reached stasis - the demand equals the supply. It's all good!

 

I shop for farm fresh food (and get home delivery) from the Washington Green Grocer. I'm not a big egg eater, but they go for $4.50/dozen.

And for lunch, a co-worker and I just signed up for a monthly soupscription with Soupergirl where we get two quarts of soup/week (one chunky and one pureed) and croutons delivered to the office starting next week with Vegetable Chili and Creamy Corn.

 

Our markets used to be great, now they charge too much. I can by the same produce from the same grower from Sprouts for less. I did ask the Kiwi guy what was going on about the prices and it said that farmers markets are "the" place to shop. Hence, the very high prices $3.00 for a bundle of kale... wtf?