If you didn't get a chance to go to your local Farmer's Market this morning . . .

[Lex]

I'll share my experience with you:

Tomatoes!


Mmmm, salad anyone?


Lot of fresh flowers too




Fresh cantaloupe:


Local cheesemaker, and it's yummy:


Local, pasture-raised beef, packaged ready for your freezer:


Things were winding down at this point:


A little fellow checks out the corn relish:


Flowers and veggies:



:hi:

[Bullwinkle925]

1. Thanks . . .

I hope to be going tomorrow to mine! Looks like you had a grand time.

:toast:

[Lex]

2. I wish ours was open on Sunday too!

Ours is Saturday from 8am to Noon, and I always get there around 11am when many things are sold out.

I'm not much of a morning person but even at 11am I can still get loads of fresh veggies, cheese, etc.

[stuntcat]

3. very nice!

I went Thursday but mine's little compared to this one. The best thing I got was another rhubarb pie :9

I wish we had a cheesemaker at ours. I wish I was in that picture tasting the free samples.

[Lex]

4. Head on down to

Durham NC one Saturday morning!

:hi:

[stuntcat]

5. oh I WISH

I live in Northern VA now, biding my time until I can move back to NC someday.

[Lex]

6. We'd love to have you back down here in NC.

The more Dems here, the better! :)

[stuntcat]

8. Home.

Believe me, I'm gonna love moving back.
You know that old song, "I Like calling North Carolina 'home'.." .. I bet I used to take the song for granted when I was growing up (in Robeson county even :o ) now I think of that song almost every day.

[Lex]

9. In Robeson County?

Cool! :thumbsup:

I grew up in Sampson County (pretty close to Robeson Co.), but haven't lived there since I left for UNC-CH in the 80's. Still have loads of family there though.

[EstimatedProphet]

7. Wow! You guys have a nice market!

We have a small one here - it's relatively new, and there's maybe 15 vendors total. But we go every week. It's good to know where your food comes from.

[otherlander]

10. My town has one

and it's pretty sad- they don't even have an organic stand. But there's a real nice one in the next town over that I go to sometimes.

I had an idea- thought it would be kind of cool if there was something where people who grew vegetables in their backyards could trade some of the stuff they grew... But I have no idea how I would start something like that.

[SPKrazy]

11. Nice Maters and all!

:hi:

:hug:

love fresh veggies and farmer's market's rock!

[tool_of_the_people]

12. Nice pics!

Blessed are the Cheesemakers!
The little fellow looks cute.

[Lex]

13. Ah ha!

:pals:

[tool_of_the_people]

14. MIA!

So this is where you've been hiding! :pals:

[Lex]

16. Well . . .

hiding plain sight, sort of. :hide:

[tool_of_the_people]

17. I looked behind the couch ....

... but LJ was there.

[Lex]

18. heeeee!

I just DU PM'd you.

[tool_of_the_people]

19. I think that you spelled ....

"DUMPED" wrong. :lol:

[Left Is Write]

15. Thank you! Great pictures!

You've also given me an idea to take pictures at the Boise 8th Street Marketplace on a Saturday. Place is loaded with farmer's market vendors, other types of food vendors, artists, craftsman, and musicians. It's a fantastic place to be on a Saturday morning.

[Robeson]

20. Tomatoes are awesome this time of year....

...I'll be at mine today...:9

[grace0418]

21. Today I bought tomatillos, jalepenos, tomatoes, onions (yes, making red and green

salsa), sweet cherries, blueberries, melon, leeks, kale, bittermelon, broccoli greens, banana peppers, japanese eggplant, and peaches. We already cut up the melon (so sweet and juicy!), and I had some cherries and a peach. Everything so far is delicious. I cannot tell you how much I love the farmer's market. I dream about it all winter.

[tool_of_the_people]

23. You're making me hungry

... "Mr" Grace.

What's a bittermelon? I've never heard of that one.

[grace0418]

28. "Mr. Grace!" LOL! Bittermelon is an Asian vegetable.

It's used in a lot of Filipino dishes (my husband's background) has wonderful medicinal properties. It's especially helpful for diabetics (my husband). I'm not crazy about it myself but I eat a little because it's good for me.

But yeah, I'm going to make the salsa this afternoon and maybe some chilled melon soup for dinner. I already finished the cherries, they were like candy! YUM!

[yellowdogintexas]

22. wonderful! nt

[trof]

24. We had one for a while, but it closed.

Now the closest one is 30 miles away.
And this is very much a farming area.
damn

[Le Taz Hot]

25. Ah, but I did!

But alas, no pictures. I just LOVE farmers' markets, don't you? Needless to say in the Central San Joaquin Valley, they're everywhere.

There is a buyer beware element to it, though. Many vendors obtain a wholesale license, purchase wholesale produce from the produce houses, then just resell the produce for a profit which, IMO, defeats the purpose of going to a farmers market in the first place. Don't be afraid to ask the vendor where they obtained their produce. Farmers will tell you where their farm is located. Resellers will him-and-haw and look down a lot.

My haul yesterday:

26 bunches of long Asian beans (canned 21 assorted jars' worth).
1 flat (huge) blackberries which I'll make into preserves today and add to what I did last week.
1 flat raspberries to be used for raspberry jam (part of my Christmas baskets).
1 tomato (to add with my one Guta) to make summer salad

[Gormy Cuss]

26. Taz, you can avoid the wholesaler vendors by going to CA certified farmers markets

The local markets in my area are CFMs and they are very strict with the vendors. They are allowed to sell only what they grow or produce. You are right that the farmers will always tell you where they're located because they are proud of their farms.

Here's a link for ya to find one in your area. I know there are some in "Fresburg."
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/search/

[jobycom]

27. Couldn't make it.... Must... Finish... Potter....

:rofl:

Finished at 4 am actually, but I wasn't waking up for nothing short of an earthquake!

[Richard Steele]

29. Actually, we WERE there! It's absolutely the BEST!

We spent $25 just on that great "Chapel Hill Creamery" cheese alone.
That's amazingly good stuff, I tellyawhut!

And then the fellow at the other end with the fresh goat cheese...

And tomatos, potatos, zucchini, lettuce, onions, blackberries,
and green peppers in between.
(And sweetie grabbed one of these cantaloupes for a co-worker.)

The Farmers Market is the only thing in years to get me up
before noon on Saturdays. It's a good thing!

[Lex]

30. I got a pint of the blackberries!

They were out of this world good. Big, dark purple, juicy! : drool :

Sorry I missed you there. Durham's Farmer's Market rocks. :thumbsup:

[Richard Steele]

31. On the way home, we usually get some heavy cream for on the blackberries. Heavenly!

And last week, I discovered that you can squeeze
just 5 of them through a fine strainer to give a
batch of homemade buttercream frosting a lovely
lavender color.