[Sca-cooks] New Topic - Farmer's Market vs Chain Grocery

[Heather M]

Pat wrote:

>I went to the State Farmer's Market in Montgomery Monday.  Bought tomatoes (real tomatoes, not pink plastic balls), Chilton County Peaches, Sweet Potatoes, Southern Field Peas, and Baby Lima Beans.  The beans and peas were already shelled in quart bags.  I paid $8.00 per quart.  Today I bought frozen quart bags of locally grown Southern Field Peas and Baby Limas from Food World for $4.00 a bag.  The Chilton County Peaches at Food World were 3/4 the price of the Farmer's Market.  The Sweet Potatoes are also a better price.  All the produce (except the tomatoes) was much better looking at the grocery.  I will probably only return to the Farmer's Market for tomatoes in the future.  
>Has anyone else had a similar or different experience?  
> 
>Mordonna
>
The produce at the Farmer's Market here might be uglier, but IME it's 
tastier. Too, squash and zucchini is squash and zucchini anywhere you 
buy it, but we see many, many more things at the FM than elsewhere - 
berries, normal and ab- (like autumn olive, which makes not so wonderful 
fresh berries, but awesome freezer jelly), persimmons, chestnuts (yes, 
local chestnuts), many different herbs and lettuces, 
non-shipped-from-anywhere-but-the-next-county tomatillos (mmm, 
empanadas), homemade preserves, deep-fried apple pies, homemade cakes. 
There's folks hereabouts who love to promote and grow heirloom 
varietals, so you'll see things there you wouldn't see anywhere, or see 
in very small amounts at the only locally-owned grocery store, such as 
moon and stars watermelon, sugarbaby watermelon, heirloom squashes, and 
throughout the season you'll see plants for sale from solely pretty to 
useful. REAL chow-chow.

I love the FM. I know that my money is going to directly support local 
business, not a national conglomerate who might get around - one day - 
to kicking some back to my local community. We've got enough business 
going elsewhere. Choices for organic foods are wider as well, and just 
looking at the place and walking through with my string bag is a 
wonderful mini-adventure on its own. I love to take my daughter with me 
when I go there. I've got a tiny gathering at my house tomorrow, and 
said I'd provide some drinks, dip, and crudité. I'll be getting the 
crudité almost entirely from the FM.

Margaret Northwode, who's given consideration to taking herbs out there 
to sell.