Thursday, September 2, 2010

Support your local Farmers



Local Food and Local Farms
 Congrats to the Rochester Public Market, winner by a landslide in the Favorite Large Farmers Market in America contest.  The Rochester Public Market ROCKS. Last weekend I spent $30 and came home with:

5lbs potatoes
1 large bunch baby asparagus
1 lb carrots
2 bunches celery
2 heads red romaine
2 heads red leaf lettuce
2 heads boston lettuce
1 large bunch beets
1 quart basket of chanterelle mushrooms (at $3 the splurge of the day)
4 cucumbers
1/2 bushel honey crisp apples
2 eggplant
4 zucchini
2 bunches bananas
10 oranges
2 bunches swiss chard
2 loaves whole wheat bread, hot from the bakery

In an effort to assist city residents with nutritional and financial challenges, the market is now accepting Food Stamp EBT cards - which has increased the foot traffic through the market (40,000 visitors on any given Saturday, 2.4 million visitors in 2009) and hopefully will give some of the young city residents a taste of locally grown delicious fruits and vegetables, as well as organic meats, and locally baked bread (really, where else can you go to get a loaf of freshly baked, hot, whole wheat bread, already sliced, for $1), and perhaps inspire them to learn to cook their own healthy meals and not become one of the projected 88% of obese Americans in the next 20 years.

There are so many people out there who think that you can only get fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. I have nothing against Walmart, I shop there for grocery staples all the time, but have you ever REALLY looked at the quality of their produce? Here in Western NY, in the middle of one of the largest apple producing areas in the world, Walmart ships apples to our stores from Washington State.  Now, I have nothing against the apple farmers there, but, seriously? What the hell? Oh, and they're 5x more expensive than the apples I get at any farmers market in my area.

But, the best thing about  the Rochester Public Market? Trying really hard not to laugh when someone who speaks Chinese/Spanish/English is trying to communicate with someone who speaks Redneck.  (if you don't think that rednecks can live north of the Mason Dixon line, I DARE you to come here)

7 comments:

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

What an awesome list!

I'm salivating at the thoughts of it!

Jans Funny Farm said...

So the Meezers weren't kidding. You really do eat salads in the summer. Good for you! What a neat place to be able to buy them.

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

We go to our local Farmers Market about once a month to stock up and usually spend about $30 each time. It generally lasts us for the month. I agree with you about supporting the locals and can't understand the idea of stuff being shipped from one side of the country to the other when it's grown locally. Unreal.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

sounds wonderful. i never thought rednecks were just southern, they are everywhere and i love them all. if i ever need help i want a redneck nearby, they'd do anything for you.

smiles, bee
oxoxoxooxoxox

Lone Star Purrs said...

I LOVE our Farmer's Market!!

~LSP Momma Becca

David & kits said...

As the meezers would say, "Where's the catnip, stinky goodness, crunchy goodness, and treats? And, the ham, bacon, ribs, and ..." (LOL)

Definitely sounds like an outstanding market score.

Unknown said...

Farmers markets rock! I grow my own food here at home, I have a 50ft by 100ft garden I plant every year (it got mostly rained out this year) I love to support our local farmers, there is a great couple of honey farms and u pick berry farms around me, and you save so much more, and the quality is just fantastic!

The Crazy Lady (connie)