My Loot. A Farmer's Market Visit.

Until now, I have never taken the time to visit a local farmer's market. In New Jersey, they start popping up in June and last all summer until the early Fall. In my mind I always reasoned, "why would I add another stop to my already jam-packed schedule?" I mean, technically you can get this "stuff" from a supermarket, right?

Well I finally took the plunge, which in real life means, I took the extra half hour of my Friday afternoon and stopped by my local farmer's market.

I circled the block to find the nearest street parking, shut the door and started pacing towards the bright, yellow flags. "Oops, I forgot bags. I should bring bags." Walked back to my car, grabbed two re-usable bags, stuck them under my armpit and marched towards my destination. As I walked, I questioned myself...

Did I bring enough bags?
Is this going to be expensive?
Do I look like I don't belong here?
What will I find?

I neared the entrance and noticed a mish mosh of personalities, which settled my mind. Some young, some old, with children, without, women, and men. Each focused on the selections at the tables presented before them. There were eight tables from different farms in New Jersey. I approached my first table not sure of what I would find or what I would buy. Then, in an instant, my doubts subsided as my eyes soaked in the beautiful array of vibrant colors from all of the fresh produce as I simultaneously inhaled the sweet smell of freshness. Yum. I wanted everything.

After filling my bag to the brim with as much produce as possible, I visited the next table, and the next, and the next, collecting my little treasures of farm-raised eggs, fresh breads, grass-fed meats, local honey, and nuts.

My precious loot...

Besides looking and smelling great, and being surprisingly affordable (aside from the meats), why else are farmer's markets a great idea?

Did you know, local farmed foods:

• taste better
• are non-GMO (which means they are not genetically-modified)
• are more nutritious because they are picked at its peak harvest, unlike supermarket produce that has traveled far and has been sitting out for a while. The longer it sits, the less vitamins it delivers.
• last longer
• are better for the environment

And so I concluded, the half hour was so worth the investment and I will be making this a part of my regular routine this summer. If you haven't tried one yet, I hope you do and here's to finding your own precious loot. To find a local farm or farmer's market near you, visit: www.localharvest.org.