Farmer's Markets are in full swing around here. My family has been visiting lots of local area markets. So far we have visited Polk City, Ankeny, Johnston and Des Moines. By far Des Moines is the largest and also the busiest. It is nice to attend the smaller town markets too. It's fun to visit with the vendors and admire all the crafts, produce and baked items.I grow most of my own produce but I still like to go to the markets to get those certain things that either aren't ready for picking yet in my own garden or things I just didn't plant. For instance last night I got some sugar snap peas and cucumbers. My peas have all died off and my cucumbers are about 2 inches long!
I feel good about purchasing from the market. I love supporting our local farmers and I would love someday to be one of those vendors out there selling my own produce. Maybe next year...
Do any of you shop at Farmer's Markets?
To find a list of local farmer's markets for Iowa head over here. I couldn't access the PDF files in Firefox, it just froze my computer. Internet Explorer had no problems. For anyone not in the state of Iowa you can head over to Localharvest.org. This is a great resource to find local foods.
Which one is your favorite? We've only been to the Des Moines market. I like the selection and atmosphere but the large crowds are a downfall for me (especially with the kids. I hate pushing a stroller through the crowds but my daughter isn't quite ready to walk that much). I've been thinking about trying out some of the other markets.
ReplyDeleteI live in California, we have a farmer's market every Wednesday afternoon. I too love to support the locals. Might be a little more expensive, but i feel better buying home grown.
ReplyDeleteI really like the Valley Junction farmers' market. But my new favorite is the Boone farmers' market, which I just discovered. Really good vendors and no crowds.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Cedar Rapids Farmers Market when I was home visiting family last. It was incredibly large compared to what I was used to but we had a wonderful time. There were so many things to choose from, there was something there for anyone!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't you buy produce at the Valley Junction Farmer's Market? A $4 beer, you can get, a head of lettuce...not so much.
ReplyDeleteOur farmers market in Virginia Beach mostly has stuff that isn't local and unless you ask or know what is in season, you would think you were buying local. I HATE THAT. It's a dirty, underhanded practice, plus most of the stuff sells for more than the super market on sale. -Amanda Y. (ayyogurt)(@Yahoo)(dot com)
ReplyDeleteShelley, so far my favorite has been the Ankeny market. Not many vendors but you can usually find a variety of items. We will be visiting more soon hopefully. I want to visit Living History Farms market next week.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I HATE when you find people selling stuff that isn't local but claim it is. It is like going to the market in early Spring and finding melons and corn. Really? Obviously it is not in season and isn't grown around here.
We went to the brand new farmer's market in Colo tonight. There were just a handful of vendors, but I came away with some good produce, clearly locally produced, at really good prices. Plus there was a local vendor selling bread and a 4-H kid selling locally grown honey. There were also a lot of flower garden plants for sale. I was pleased -- I really hope this farmer's market takes off. It will be really convenient for us and if our peppers produce, we may have some excess to sell ourselves. There is no charge for selling.
ReplyDeleteMom B.