Farmer's Market
October 01, 2007
Fall is upon us and the harvest is at a farmer's stand near you. This weekend, I had the privilege to enjoy my local farmer's market. The height of the market may
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.Abbodanza - literally "abundance" - is a Community Supported Agricultural co-op located in Lafayette, Colorado. The farm is supported by the community of Lafayette as part of an initiative where voters approved the leasing of open space for organic farming. Thomas Open Space, located at 1640 W. Baseline Rd in Lafayette between 95th and 287, is now home to Abbodanza farms for the next three years. The farm stand is open on the weekends, through Halloween, and features produce like none other. I purchased two large cardboard boxes worth of produce - everything from potatoes, to shallots, and pie pumpkins. The presentation of eggplants, however, is what really won me over. Every variety of eggplant I could name was on a table in front of me in the many shades of purple, green, and white it can be.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.Considering the impact your food has on the values you hold near and dear may rearrange your purchasing habits. For some people, religious values, or morals may dictate food choices, but for me, a consideration of the environmental impact my food choices have is what primarily dictates whether I'll buy strawberries out of season, or purchase shell fish (I'm land locked!).
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.Produce aside, the environmental impact of meat production is quite scary. If you never considered vegetarianism out of ethical concerns, you may rethink your position if you are concerned about your "carbon footprint" or the emissions caused by the production and consumption of meat. One recent article from the Guardian (a British newspaper), "Meat production 'beefs up emissions,'" had this to say about meat production: "Producing 1kg of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home, scientists said today."
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
If you've never been to the farmer's market, or wonder whether you'd like to rekindle those pre-school days of visiting the pumpkin patch and picking your own jack-o-lantern, I suggest you go to Food Routes to find local markets, stands, growers, and producers in your neck of the woods. Taste the difference, and let me know what fun places you find. For now, I'll be haunting Abbodanza until Halloween.
Labels: farmer's market, food, harvest, local, produce, shopping
