Poll, How Often Do You Shop at a Local Farmers’ Market?
The poll for this week has to do with how frequently you shop at your local farmers’ markets. I like to go a couple of times a month.  Soulard Farmers’ Market is usually one of those stops:
Of course I like new markets in addition to the classics like Soulard:
When traveling I like to take in a city’s market. Not for produce but for local flavor:
I don’t see these markets putting the big grocery chains out of business anytime soon but when you’ve got a market with real farmers it is nice to buy your radishes from the person that pulled them out of the soil. The poll is located in the top right corner of the main page.
A few times a year.
My girlfriend and I shop at farmer’s markets almost every week during the summer. And for the record, for those of you who haven’t discovered this yet, the Soulard market is kind of a joke. If you think you’re eating local, think again. Only about 1/8 of what you’ll find at the Soulard “Farmer’s” market is from a local farm or anywhere within 500 miles of here. The market doesn’t require any of the vendors to label where their food is from, either, which makes it a little more difficult. Fortunately you can tell right away on a lot of them when the Onions have stickers on them that say “product of Peru”. There are really only two or three vendors there that have locally grown food. I really don’t necessarily have a problem with that, if it’s what they have to do to stay open. I just think it’s deceptive to call it a “farmer’s market” and not require vendors to label if their food is not local.
If you want a true local farmers market you’ll have to go to the Tower Grove, Maplewood/Schlafly or Clayton farmer’s markets.
[slp — The trick with Soulard is to know what you are buying. If you want local you need to learn the vendors. If you want inexpensive produce make one circle to see the selection and who has the best prices. If you want locally made candles stop by the Brende Family booth. ]
Shopped at Union Square Farmers Market in New York City last week. Everything was fabulous with a broad selection including wine from up state New York, fish and lamb. In April also had the opportunity to shop at the Santa Monica, CA farmer’s market. It took up a couple of blocks of Third Street. Of course with the long growing season, there was lots to choose from including locally grown tomatoes in April.
We like Tower Grove and try and support it the Saturday’s when we are in town.
There’s a general confusion between public markets and farmers’ markets.
Farmers’ markets are where growers of food (farmers, ranchers) directly sell their output. A public market, while it may include farmers, also incoudes butchers, bakers, produce retailers other than farmers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, etc.
Public markets generally occupy permanent structures, sometimes built/owned by municipalities or arms of local governments, occasionally by non-profit entities. Some, however, start out as commercial venues, as did the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, which brought an existing open-air street marketindoors when the Reading Railroad built it’s new terminal and enticed the market vendors to occupy the street-level space underneath the giant trainshed.
Grand Island, Pike Place, the Reading Terminal Market, Soulard Market are all public markets. Although I haven’t been there for sometime, the University City Loop market is more akin to a farmers’ market, since it’s a temporary affrair primarily anchored by farmers to grow produce and sell it directly to the consumer.
Every Saturday in the summer at the Evanston Farmers Market.
The ferguson market is good once the season really picks up- it’s a little slim in may though. There are some folks from florissant that sell there and the theis farm from hanley and Maryland heights. Overland has started one also, but I haven’t made it there yet.
That old dude in Phili needs a beard.net
to sell eggs?!
Soulard every week in the summer (season), and mostly once every two-three wks in the winter. Try to buy as much of our fruit and veg there as it is the same stuff, generally, as one gets at a grocery store, and is cheaper. Bread from Black Bear, eggs and butter (in parchment) from the stall that also sells live chichens (they had emu eggs this past Sat.: a stunning, darker emerald green). The stalls run by the Scharfe and Kruze families (actual farmers; check out the Scharfe stall this Sat.: WONDERFUL homegrown strawberries!) are good for asparagus, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, etc., all grown by them, and they also sell other goods which they’ve brought in. The Kruze family generally grows organically, as they’ve had some cancer in the family over the last few years. Both families are good people. I also buy greens and one or two veggies at another two stalls, the numbers of which I cannot remember. The stalls run by the other vendors, well, caveat emptor. Most are mostly honest, but be careful buying veg from them. Check that the green veg isn’t too soft or wilted, the peppers have a nice, taught skin, the garlic firm, and the shrooms fresh. Oh, and if you see nice, fresh-looking produce at the front of the stall, make sure you are getting THAT produce, not the stuff they have back and higher, which is probably older and which they are trying to pawn off on you, the unsuspecting buyer. Oh, and listen. I don’t know how many languages I’ve heard at Soulard: half a dozen, dozen. All kinds of humanity.
yuck, hariy eggs !
and I can’t even spell hairy I should be banned
We'r ed hardy outlet one of the most profession
of the coolest and latest ed hardy apparel, such as
ed hardy tee ,ed hardy bags,
ed hardy bathing suits, ed hardy shoes,
ed hardy board shorts ， don ed hardyt,ed hardy tank tops, ed hardy for women,
ed hardy swimwearand more,
ed hardy clothing. We offers a wide selection of fashion
cheap ed hardyproducts. Welcome to our shop or just enjoy browsing through our stunning collection available wholesale ed hardy in our shop.
our goal is to delight you with our distinctive collection of mindful ed hardy products while providing value and excellent service. Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction and we offer only 100% satisfacted service and ed hardy products. Please feel free to contact us at any time; we are committed to your 100% customer satisfaction. If you're looking for the best service and best selection, stay right where you are and continue shopping at here is your best online choice for the reasonable prices. So why not buy your ed hardy now, I am sure they we won’t let you down.