The Farmer's Market is OPEN!

Yesterday was a productive day around here. My oldest had to meet her girl scout troop at 7:30 for camping, so once I was out and about I went ahead and got some things done! Checked out our local Southern States and got a feeder, some oyster shell, and the remaining necessary materials to finish the coop for my soon to be arriving chickens and then went to my happy place, the Farmers Market. Our local one closes during the winter and this was opening weekend. I love poking around, seeing what others are growing. Smelling, tasting and looking at all the amazing produce and handmade awesomeness that this area produces. Some women go crazy at the shoe store, I love the market. I purchased a few herbs to pot on my deck, some delicious fresh strawberries (those didn't make it through the day), lovely eggs from free range chickens that are fed the same soy free organic feed that I bought for my chickens, local wildflower honey and a yummy little banana bread loaf to munch on while I walked around.
It's important to note that there are three "Farmer's Markets" in my area. There's only one that I would actually call a true Farmer's Market. One has evolved into more of a flea market where you can buy anything from trucked in out of season pesticide laden produce to used power tools to bootleg DVDs. They also have some livestock but they don't look too happy. We bought a dog there once. He was a jerk. The other Market is held at our local courthouse 2 days a week. It's better than the first, but still hosts the same distributor selling trucked in out of season pesticide laden produce. There is no reason I should ever be able to find an orange at a Farmer's Market in Maryland in May. Or really, ever. Let's work with what grows here, people! On the other side, there are some local farmers and food vendors that are there selling their wares also. It's a bit of a mixed bag. Then, there's my beloved Farmer's Market. This one is my favorite. No distributors, local produce and artisans, nice people that love to talk to you about what they grow (I had my ear talked off by a beekeeper - homey was PASSIONATE!) and they take debit! And WIC and EBT and Snap Cards! And, somehow or another, they give you a bonus for using your WIC checks there. They have such a wide variety of things - local meat, produce, cheese, soaps and body care, plants, jellies and jams...all kinds of good stuff. I'm excited to see it open again.
When we're involved with our food, we become excited about it. We become connected to it. It becomes so much more than just microwave, fork, mouth, chew, swallow, repeat. It's an experience to be savored and enjoyed and then talked about later. What about your food has you excited today?