It's That Time Again!

Baseball, flowers poking up through the ground, green leaves showing themselves--all sure signs of spring.  But one of the best signs that we're into that time of year is the opening of our many local farmers' markets.

Cows of Tussock Sedge Farm in Blooming Glen.
(photo courtesy of Lynne Goldman)

Slowly but surely, the farmers' markets in our area are starting up, giving us the opportunity to buy great local foods (and other products).  It's a great time of year.

A number of studies show that supermarket produce travels an average of about 1500 miles from the field to your plate.  That's a long way.  During the food's not-so-excellent adventure, both nutrition and taste are depleted.  That gives us some pretty tepid and bland veggies sitting in the grocery store.  Add in the fuel, refrigeration and packaging used to ship these products so far, you've got a pretty major carbon footprint.

That's why eating locally produced and grown foods makes so much sense.  No long-distance shipping.  Foods that retain their natural nutritional value.  And food that simply tastes so much better than things shipped from across the country. 

There are places in this country that eating local isn't very easy.  But we are so blessed with an amazing array of locally raised foods to choose from here in Bucks County and surrounding areas.  Why would we eat anything else?  Buying from local farmers lets you actually talk to the people who work so hard to give you these great items.  You can ask questions and really know where your food came from.

A Blooming Glen Farm farmers' market display.

Whether it's produce or meats, eating local also gives a much-needed boost to the local economy.  The neat thing is that many of our communities were founded on economies based on farming.  So the local food movement, while forward-thinking, also hearkens back to the past--and brings things full circle.

So go check out a farmers' market this weekend.  Join a CSA (we finally joined Blooming Glen Farm and are very excited about it!).  Stop by a local meat or poultry market.  The farmers, your family, your body and your taste buds will thank you for it!

Wrightstown Farmers' Market

We took a little trip down to Wrightstown on Saturday morning to go to the farmers' market there.  I've heard a lot about this market and now I wish I lived a little closer to it.

It's great that there are so many markets around these days, but some of them are a little sparse.  The market in Wrightstown is not one of them.

Lunch from the market--sliced fennel, berries and water through a fennel
straw.  (The bagel was from the freezer.)

There were at least 8 different farms selling fresh fruits and veggies, a number of meat vendors as well as various other items like prepared foods, soaps and organic pet foods.  There was a lot to choose from and it was fun walking around seeing all the wonderful stuff that comes from the ground here in Bucks County.  What a wide variety of things.  Not only the usual tomatoes, peaches, etc.  But also lots of okra, tomatillos, lemon cucumbers and other unusual items.

We got some incredibly delicious blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.  We also picked up some beautiful lettuce from Blooming Glen Farm's stand and well as a cucumber and some fennel for Jake. 

It made for a nice tasty and healthy lunch!  If you're in the Wrightstown area on a Saturday between 9AM and 1PM, stop in and check it out.  You'll be glad you did!

It's Not the End

Today marks the "unofficial end of summer" as the local news programs are so fond of telling us.  Yes, we're in September now and the nights are getting cooler, the kids are going back to school and the baseball pennant races are heating up.

But for those of you who have enjoyed all the wonderful fresh produce our area has provided throughout the summer, don't despair.  There's plenty more still available.

Most farmers' markets are still going strong through at least the end of September with lots of great stuff for the taking--tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, greens, squash, watermelon.  Not to mention those crops that come in during the cooler months--broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, a variety of root vegetables, pumpkins and so much more.

So don't let the "end" of summer get you down.  Keep on enjoying the fruits of our local farmers' labors and eat well for weeks to come!

Have a safe and fun Labor Day!

Great Stuff on your FM dial!

Have you been to a farmers' market yet this year?  If not, what's keeping you?!  It sure isn't for lack of choices--there are markets all over the place these days.  And for good reason.

As you know, eating and buying locally grown and produced food is becoming more and more trendy.  And farmers' markets are the perfect places for farmers and producers to sell the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors.  The fun thing is, as you keep coming back to your favorite markets, you'll see the variety of produce throughout the growing season--from strawberries, asparagus and spring greens in the spring to tomatoes, peppers and melons in the summer to squash, Brussels sprouts and fall greens in the autumn. 

Farmers' markets aren't just for farmers anymore either.  You'll find painters, potters, bakers, makers of jams and jellies, seafood purveyors, chocolatiers, weavers...you name it!  That's why going to a FM is such a relaxing and relatively inexpensive family outing.  It's a great educational experience for kids, too.  Teach them about farming, let them meet all sorts of different people and expose them to many delicious and nutritious foods.

 

Oh, did I mention that many FMs have cooking demos?  (Nice segue, huh?)  Here are the dates that I'm scheduled to appear at three different markets through September:

Ottsville Farmers' Market     Linden Hill Gardens, 8230 Easton Rd (Rt 611), Ottsville     3-7PM

Friday, June 18

Friday, July 16

Friday, August 6

Plumsteadville Grange Farmers' Market     5901 Easton Rd (Rt 611), Plumsteadville     9AM-12PM

Saturday, July 17

Saturday, August 7

Saturday, September 4

Indian Valley Farmers' Market     Marketplace at Telford Station, Main St & Penn Ave, Telford     8:30AM-12:30PM

Saturday, July 31

Saturday, August 28

Saturday, September 11

So come on out and enjoy all the bounty that our wonderful area provides for us, meet the people who work so hard to give these great products to you and stop and say hi to me!  (Get some free samples, too!)