Gotta Love Farmers Markets!!

[larry_stewart]

Was in NYC , the past few days, and strategically planned our wanderings to pass by the Union Square Greenmarket. Im usually in the city on days its not there, but any time I know the market is open, I make it happen. There have been times that instead of actually going out for lunch, we're just walk through the market selecting a bunch of stuff and turning it into lunch. Any time wego on a road trip, I always try to make it a point to hit the local farmers markets or the most popular city market. When in Philly, Reading Terminal Market is a must!!.

No real question here, just plugging farmers markets and unique food markets in cities. Im looking forward to hitting a few on my road trip in October.

 

[blissful]

Isn't that so fun and cool? I love them too! All that variety inspiring what we'll have for cooking and eating. I love the colors and variety.

 

[larry_stewart]

Isn't that so fun and cool? I love them too! All that variety inspiring what we'll have for cooking and eating. I love the colors and variety.

I could wander around these markets for hours , even without buying anything, just to see the colors, varieties, shapes, sizes and some things that Ive never seen or heard of before. Unfortunately it was a crappy day, so we weren't able to enjoy it as much as usual.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

A few years back, we were visiting with our Nephew and his family, in the Detroit area.
His wife, whom we call our Neice, took me on a girls day out and the two boys were in Great Uncle's care.
We ventured over to the Eastern Market.
That was really cool!
And we did wander for most of the morning and then had lunch, I can't remember where that was, mostly because I was so floored by this Farmer's Market.
The sights, the sounds, the smells...



I'd never seen such beautiful Roses before ...




... nor had I seen such a HUGE Zucchini before. The young woman behind the table said that I could take a picture of her vegetables if I gave her a dollar!

Oh boy! That was another great Road Trip... AZ-NM-OK-OH-MI-MD-WV-IL-MO-KS-CO-NM-AZ (edit-I forgot WY in there somewhere)
PHEW!
We were gone for a month, and loved every second of it!

 

[caseydog]

I don't get down to the Dallas Farmer's Market often -- it has been years. My suburban city had one, but it was all just the same produce sold at local grocery stores. They just sold it from booths. Very few booths actually grew their own produce, and most of if was NOT locally sourced.

So, farmer's markets can be great, but you have to ask, point blank, if the vendor grew the produce they are selling, and was it grown locally.

The fresh markets in Europe are great, especially in Spain and Italy. But, that's how many people there buy their food, so a vendor can make a full-time living at it.

CD

 

[Addie]

I just asked Luke if he had any trips to the farmers market yesterday. Nope! Dang. I really had a good time last year. But even if he did. I still have to learn how to get out of my wheelchair and use a walker. Boy I have a lot of work ahead of me. Dang! I am so impatient!!!

caseydog is so right. We have a very large market over by Haymarket Square. They have cases galore of selling their wares. We just have to look at what is stacked behind them to get the message of growing their own. About around four p.m. the sellers start to panic. All of a sudden, their prices really start to drop. But it is still fun to go to a farmer's market.

 

[Kayelle]

A few years back, we were visiting with our Nephew and his family, in the Detroit area.
His wife, whom we call our Neice, took me on a girls day out and the two boys were in Great Uncle's care.
We ventured over to the Eastern Market.
That was really cool!
And we did wander for most of the morning and then had lunch, I can't remember where that was, mostly because I was so floored by this Farmer's Market.
The sights, the sounds, the smells...

View attachment 30998

I'd never seen such beautiful Roses before ...


View attachment 30999

... nor had I seen such a HUGE Zucchini before. The young woman behind the table said that I could take a picture of her vegetables if I gave her a dollar!

Oh boy! That was another great Road Trip... AZ-NM-OK-OH-MI-MD-WV-IL-MO-KS-CO-NM-AZ (edit-I forgot WY in there somewhere)
PHEW!
We were gone for a month, and loved every second of it!

Kgirl, that happened to me too on my very first trip to Europe and it made
me so dang mad and shocked, I never forgot how it made me feel.

 

[Rocklobster]

I am envious..I have one right beside my house in the fair grounds, but can never make it..I see them setting up every Saturday morning when I head out to work..bummer..

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Ours lasts 2 hours on a Thursday...

 

[larry_stewart]

The last time I was at the Union Square market, there was a chef shopping for the produce he would use later that day in his restaurant. I kinda followed him around and watched as he made his selections. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him ( on his selection process, what he was making ...) but he seemed to be ' In the Zone' and I didnt want to distract him, but still fun to watch.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Does the Fish Auction count as a Farmer's Market?









This was A~MAZ~ING!!!
Even if it was at 5 o'clock in the morning

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Wow, K-Girl, lots of choices! But...those fish are all dead. Before you think "that's how they have to sell them" let me tell you about what our niece can shop at. She moved to Taiwan with her hubby when he was needed to go home to care for his aging parents. I am amazed with that part of the world more and more by her posts. One place they shop has not only iced fish, but also living fish you can select from displays that look like pools of water cascading down between more pools of water. And the fish are busy swimming around! Like going fishing, except no dangerous hooks and yucky worms.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Sadly, we don't seem to have much in the offering of nice farmers' markets around here. The closest is 14 miles away, open only two afternoons from 3:30 to 6, and we've never seen more than 9 or 10 vendors there. We did go down into Boston one day when the Haymarket Square one was going on years ago. What a confusing mess! Like a yard sale set up on the curb lawn of a busy shopping center. We looked around for about 15 minutes, then beat feet out of there.

We have been to the Philadelphia Italian Market - it made me think of Cleveland's Little Italy or Boston's North End, but with produce stands, too. I would like to go back there, and also check out the Reading Terminal Market. It looks like it's similar to my favorite, Cleveland's West Side Market. Organized, indoor and sheltered outdoor stands, and families that have been running the same booths for decades, going back to my first trip down there in the early 1970s.

 

[JustJoel]

Wow, K-Girl, lots of choices! But...those fish are all dead. Before you think "that's how they have to sell them" let me tell you about what our niece can shop at. She moved to Taiwan with her hubby when he was needed to go home to care for his aging parents. I am amazed with that part of the world more and more by her posts. One place they shop has not only iced fish, but also living fish you can select from displays that look like pools of water cascading down between more pools of water. And the fish are busy swimming around! Like going fishing, except no dangerous hooks and yucky worms.

At least two of the Asian markets near me sell live fish, too. Not a great variety, and no cascading ponds, but the fish are live. Live lobsters, too. And Manila clams, kept fresh in cold, running water.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Most of the grocery stores around here have tubs of live lobsters. Whenever I look in the tub, I imagine the little guys saying "free me, free me". Poor lobsters, most people think they're saying "eat me, eat me" and *poof*, gone Lobster, gone.

 

[JustJoel]

We do have farmer’s markets in Vegas, but they’re usually open only day a week, and for very short time periods. They’re also not very accessible. Some only open twice a month. I’ve never been to one; they always seem to coincide with my work hours, or Mark needs tending to, or a myriad of other things that take precedence.

 

[cjmmytunes]

We have one by the river on Saturdays from May to the end of October, except for the Saturday of the Potato Festival. I think my neighbor and I are going one Saturday next month when it is a bit cooler.

 

[CraigC]

Sadly our growing season, thus quality farmer's markets won't be until fall and winter. Way too hot to grow stuff right now in south Florida.

 

[GotGarlic]

We have one by the river on Saturdays from May to the end of October, except for the Saturday of the Potato Festival. I think my neighbor and I are going one Saturday next month when it is a bit cooler.

Have you ever been to Brothers Farm Market in Elizabeth City? They bring produce up to the farmers market in my town every Saturday from April through November. Love their stuff They have a fall festival with a corn maze, farm animals, etc., in October that your grands might enjoy.

https://m.facebook.com/brothersfarmmarket

Our market is located on a main corner in town, along the sidewalk in front of the art gallery, so there is often live entertainment or art exhibits there, in addition to the vendors. My master gardener group has an info booth there every week. In December, we make holiday wreaths and swags using greenery from members' gardens and sell them at the market.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/farmers-market-olde-towne-portsmouth-portsmouth

 

[larry_stewart]

The bigger markets , by me , are primarily in the city, but out where I live, there are loads of farms. So on weekends, we take a drive out east and stop at various farm stands and U - Pick farms. Everything from fresh produce, fresh honey, freshly picked flowers, there is a goat farm where they have goat milk products ( cheese, fudge..), A local potato chip and pickle factory , roasted corn, Fresh eggs.... whatever the farm has to offer, Its not as localized or centralized as a farm market, but makes for a nice weekend drive. Also many vineyards as well.