Day 242

I am continually suprised to discover how many people who live in my community have never been to our city's Farmer's market. It is a gold mine for everything, from food to pottery and household items.

And it's not just a place to shop. You can eat your heart out at this market as well. No need to wait for the fall festivals to arrive if you have a hankering for ethnic food- you can find just about everything (and them some) every weekend of the year.

There are your more traditional food-stuffs: sandwiches boasting local meats and vegetables, soups, and salads. But there was a line for Hungarian cabbage rolls and pastries by 0900. Colombian, Thai, Mediterranean, and more are also represented, along with coffee, fresh breads, and pastries to make your mouth water. Dessert isn't left out either- cupcakes, ice cream, organic fruit pops, and gelato are available. I saw a marscapone lemoncello cake today that about broke my willpower...They even have soft pretzels literally as big as your head - a favorite of the 11-year old.

Need some fresh flowers? Gorgeous bouquets are available for as little as $5, from the yellowist (is that a word?) sunflowers to roses.

Local artisans sell their pottery, jewelry, and every kind of canned/jarred food or sauce you can imagine. I bought homeade stick lotion today- lotion that is solid enough to roll on like deodorant. What a great travel idea, and the gentleman selling it was so nice and knowledgeable.

And I haven't even started on the food stuffs. Today I bought fresh eggs, thick bacon, chicken patties, bison, a bushel of pickling cucumbers, zucchini, red peppers, honey, strawberry jam, fresh wheat and blueberry-lemon bread. Every vegetable imaginable was represented, along with some that are heirloom and not readily available in most grocery stores. And I got to spend time with the bee farmer who taught me all about the different kinds of honey and-most importantly- let me taste each one. So cool.

So, today's pic celebrates farmers and the smaller markets that focus on locally grown and organic food. Tomorrow is race day, and I thoroughly enjoyed my whole wheat pasta with pesto sauce and fresh vegetables from my shopping trip today. If you haven't been out to your local market, make a point to do so. Better yet- take your kids. Show them food doesn't have to come from grocery stores, and let them pick something new out to try. You both may be suprised at what you discover!