Market Day

We made a trip to our local farmers' market this weekend. Part shopping excursion, part reconnaissance mission, part face-painting expedition. With a mixture of disappointment and relief I found that most of the stands had plenty of salad greens, but not an abundance of anything else. And these people are professionals. I chatted up one lovely local farmer as she bounced a baby on her knee, who explained to me that we're just having a slow growing season in our neck of the woods. She assured me that my tomato plants will probably still produce something, but I suspect she may have just been being nice to me because I bought some of her peas.

Farmers' markets are a lovely thing. They have the freshest produce you'll ever find, if you don't grow your own. Even if you do grow some things yourself, you can still discover lovely little gems to supplement what you have, or at the very least find a dose of inspiration. Markets are inherently family-friendly, and usually foster a sense of community and solidarity. In my case, I get to commiserate with other growers and pretend that I know what I'm talking about. In my son's case, he gets a moon and stars painted on his face. There are usually other local artisans as well, both food-related (bakers, cheese makers, sausage makers, spice makers) and non-food-related (jewelry designers, wood carvers, musicians, hula-hoopers?) Thanks to the interwebs, it's really easy to find a market in your area. In BC, check out the BC Association of Farmers' Markets, or go here for those specific to Vancouver. For the rest of you folks, there's this handy little thing called Google. According to my mom, you remember something longer if you look it up yourself. I will, however, throw some links up to some of my favourite local haunts. Go support your neighbours!
Sooke Country Market
Metchosin Farmers' Market
Moss Street Market