Farmers markets are one of my summertime delights. I love to head out on Saturday morning to shop for produce at our nearby farmers market. It’s located in the historic downtown on a lot amid the justice buildings. The vendors are regulars and I try to divvy up my purchases among them. Usually I buy a week’s worth of peaches or other fruits in season, and fresh veggies, always including corn on the cob for a meal. A few crafters, a honey man, an organic meat vendor and a baker also sell their wares but I generally stick to buying the fresh local produce. I wince at the prices but remind myself that I like to support hard-working people.
When my kids were young, I followed a different routine. We went to the Tuesday farmers market, also in the downtown area. We enjoyed mingling with the families and retired folks. We often ran into friends. I let the kids help pick and carry our purchases. At one point, a local church served free lemonade; a treat we looked forward to. The morning usually included another activity such a library visit or a stop at the adjacent playground. I really miss those summers with the kids at home!
Actually, I have a history with farmers markets. My earliest market memory is with my grandmother when I was a little girl. She took me to a downtown market on a bus because she did not drive. The city’s open air market filled a permanent concrete structure. I don’t recall her purchases but afterward she baked many kinds of delicious fruit pies! Bowls of berries were plentiful in her kitchen too.
I have visited farmers markets in quite a few cities. Since vacations tend to occur in summer, farmers markets make a pleasant outing. I have joined family at farmers markets in Hamilton, Ontario; Holland, Michigan; Brooklyn, New York; and in Lynchburg and Blacksburg, Virginia. I took students on a fieldtrip that included a huge historic market in Baltimore and friends took me to a similar market in Philadelphia. Each market reflects its unique region yet they share common set-ups and the same kinds of goods.
Produce stands and markets aren’t about deals and convenience. Open air markets provide fresher produce from small-time, local growers. Grocery stores have their place but buying direct is personal, nutritious and much tastier! I feel very blessed to have the extra means to shop in markets and enjoy better food. I don’t take for granted that we are not in a severe drought or devastated by a blight or infestation. These things have happened before. Instead, the crop fields and orchards are abundant with God’s goodness which He generously provides for me (Psalm 104:14-15). If you also recognize ‘from whence’ the bounty on your table comes, you might practice that graceful habit of giving thanks at meals, just as Jesus did (John 6:11).
POSTSCRIPT – My dad visited last week and he edited my draft. He gave me several basic, but very helpful writing tips: the advantage of being a writer’s daughter! I noticed that he inserted a possessive apostrophe after the word “farmers” which I also felt was correct. But in searching out the usage of “farmers market” the apostrophe now seems to be omitted.