Farmers markets are becoming the new town square

[marmar]

from the Detroit Free Press:



[font size="1"]Detroit's Eastern Market[/font]


Eat local, but first shop local and in season.

That's the message from folks who shop at or operate farmers markets.

And the season is already in full swing.

Many markets have been open a few weeks; others will open their stalls soon as more produce starts rolling in. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20120531/FEATURES02/205310388/Popular-for-fresh-local-produce-farmers-markets-are-becoming-the-new-town-square?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. They've been popular out here in CA for many years now........not sure just how many years, though.

I go to one and sometimes two every week. Because our growing season is year-round, our markets are too. Of course, the summertime brings us a bounty of fresh produce.

Sometimes they have little fairs attached to them, and local artists show their stuff.

The markets are an invaluable resource.

[jpbollma]

3. Love the Eastern Market in Detroit

I will be going this weekend. It is the nation's largest open air market, regularly bringing in 40,000 people each Saturday. It's an amazing way to spend a day. So many good shops and diners there as well.

[TlalocW]

2. And I'm the Village Fool

Either Saturday or Sunday, if I don't have gigs on the day, I twist balloons at the City Market in Kansas City, MO. It's a good way to hand out cards, make some extra money, and afterwards I go shopping. Usually, I finish too late to go through the "islands" in the parking lot, where there are specialty items like artwork, fudge, local honey, etc. The people there normally close up and leave around 3. But there are the permanent businesses around the perimeter of the market - local groceries/farmers, some restaurants, even a small Arabic grocery that I stop in to get dried fruits - especially dates. But the rest of the market has such cheap stuff. Never seen strawberries more than $2 a carton (usually they're $1). Blueberries the same, etc. I've been buying more than what I normally do at a grocery store because I can make smoothies without feeling like I spent a lot to do so.

TlalocW

[WriteWrong]

4. Yep. Ours is already beaten down, hipsterized and bureaucratized. It was a nice idea, though.

[Ratty]

5. Our Farmers Markets are WAY to expensive to buy anything but I still go

It's very much a kind of town square and I like spending a half hour on the weekend just wandering through.

[Scuba]

6. The Farmer's Market is a GREAT place to meet progressively-minded folk....

... even if my very, very red community.


Excellent place to buy fresh produce too!