Support Your Local Farmer

I couldn't believe it’s been so long since I went shopping at my neighborhood farmers market, but today (inspired by goinggreen’s many articles about local produce) I finally hauled my butt over there. What an amazing array of produce in season -- beautiful and succulent cherries and raspberries, lovely kale, summer squash of all varieties, purple broccoli, baby turnips (I’ve never seen these before), fresh garlic, and bunches of herbs that I can still smell all the way upstairs from my kitchen.

I can't wait to make lunch.

And as soon as I got everything tucked away, I dove into those cherries. They tasted as if they were still warm from the summer sunshine, as if I’d plucked them myself and ate them right in the grove. I got so excited that I forgot to wash them first -- but, oh well, I think I'll live.

Now, I have a produce drawer full of yummy greens (I got a little enthusiastic and not only filled the produce drawer but spilled over onto the drawer above it.) I also feel good about supporting my local farmers. I’ve kept some money in the local economy, and also (which is something that I'd like to do more of) I’m eating what's available locally.

And why shouldn't I do that? I’m lucky enough to live in the Hudson River Valley, home to so many farms, many of which grow organically, so why have I been trucking to the local food store and buying red cabbage and green beans trucked in from who knows where? Why haven't I been taking advantage of all this local bounty?

Probably because of habit. And this habit is one that I'm more than willing to break.

I'm not quite ready to become a total locavore (that would mean spending my winters with only squash, onions and turnips as my daily vegetables), but I love what's coming up now.

You can also save a lot of money -- I couldn't believe that a hefty bunch of cilantro was only $1.50 -- as long as you avoid the following pitfalls of those weekend markets:

1. Anything designed to catch your nose or tastebuds. Yes, they taste marvelous, but all of those fragrant focaccia breads and “handcrafted” jams are expensive. It you want to treat yourself, go ahead -- but if it's money you hadn't intended on spending, make sure you eat before you leave the house.

2. Know a little bit about what's in season and what isn't. Anyone who lives around here knows that any apple that shows its shiny face in a farmers market before August is from last year. If you're okay with that, fine, but if you're determined to eat only what’s in season, get yourself a little education first.

3. If you can stand to wait until the end of the day to hit the market, that's when you’ll get the best bargains, because the merchants don't want to haul all that stuff home.

4. Beware the “big eyes” syndrome. That's my downfall - when it looks so gorgeous you want a whole bunch of everything. That's great, if you have a family or a freezer with a lot of space. But if you're cooking for yourself, or for you and your significant other, think about how much you'll actually be using (maybe make a few meal plans in your head) so it doesn't become gazpacho in your produce drawer.

5. Get to know the vendors. Repeat customers (especially friendly ones) might get better deals, or inside tips on what's coming into season, or what their policies are toward organic farming. Or maybe a recipe or two. For instance, I didn’t know that those baby turnips could be eaten raw, maybe grated over a salad (they’re crunchy and a little spicy) or very lightly steamed or sautéed with garlic. Mmmmm……..

Don't know where your local farmers’ market is? Check here. Just tell it you’re looking for farmers’ markets, plunk in your zip code, and off you go!

Do you have a favorite goodie at your local farmers’ market?