Farmer's Markets

I spent most of my childhood growing up in rural south Georgia.  We lived just outside of town in a small neighborhood with acre-size yards.  Our family, like most in the area, used a portion of the backyard to plant a summer garden.  My dad and mom did much of the work, but my siblings and I also spent many hours helping with hoeing, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, shelling, and preparing vegetables to be stored for use during the year.  It was hard work, and I'm not gonna lie, I did my share of complaining about it (but I also did my share of eating the delicious fruits of our labors).  There's nothing quite like that perfectly ripened tomato fresh off the vine, or the first bite of a crisp ear of corn, dripping with butter and salt.  Mmmm...

In the county where I grew up, every 5th grader automatically joined the 4-H club.  And while many students didn't continue, I participated all the way through high school graduation.  One of my favorite activities was "Harvest Days" - this was a two-day event each fall where area county 4-H clubs would gather in Valdosta and bring freshly harvested vegetables, canned fruits and jams, boiled peanuts, and hand-crafts made by 4-H club members to sell at the central shopping plaza (this was in the days before they built the mall).  We got excused from school to go, and we took shifts selling our goods to shoppers, and when we weren't working, we could see what the other clubs had to offer.  You might say the Harvest Days were my introduction to today's Farmer's Markets.

We've been to some interesting Public Markets in cities like Milwaukee, Seattle, and Vancouver.  And one of my favorite Hallmark Movie settings is when the couple is wandering around a Farmer's Market when they haven't quite admitted that they are falling for each other... it's so sweet!  

A friend recently moved to a city where the local Farmer's Market is just a few blocks walk away.  I would love that!  I can't seem to get to the one in our city because it's "all the way across town", but I do seem to find my way to those in places when we are out of town.  They can be a great source of unique items and gifts as well as just good food for a healthy meal.  So you can bet I'll be on the lookout for Farmer's Markets throughout the Middle States!

I'm just gonna drop a few here to refer back to when we travel.  Some of the locations we'll be at have weekly markets but just not on the day(s) of the week we'll be there.

• Hot Springs, AR - Saturdays Hours: 9-12, Summers 7-12
• Sioux City, IA - Wednesdays & Saturdays, 8 - 1
• Rochester, MN - Saturdays 7:30-12:00
• Winona, WI - Saturdays, 7:30 - 12:00
• Ludington, MI - Fridays 3-7
• Springfield, IL - Wednesdays & Saturdays, 8-12:30
• Kirkwood, MO - Daily

So what about you?  What do you look for at a Farmer's Market?  Coffee? Fresh baked goods?  Vegetables, eggs, jams and jellies?  There's a vendor at the Apalachicola Farmer's Market that makes the best salsa!  I'm just sayin'...

~ Cindy D.