Dear Dartmouth,
It’s a hot Saturday morning, the sky is blue, and the birds are chirping. Spring has sprung and all that jazz. My mission for the day is to tackle a space I’ve heard a lot about but never entered: the farmers’ market.
Photo courtesy of author
Photo courtesy of author
This sentiment was shared about the owners of other booths and farms. The owner of Street Fare Farm said that, even on that day, he’d had more customers than he had in months. By the time I got to his stand, he only had his last bit of farm fresh eggs, kohlrabi, and swiss chard available for purchase. I asked the Street Fare owner what he’d want people to know. As is expected, he wished more people would buy from farmers’ markets as it improves the local economy and supports organic and sustainable farming. However, and this took me a bit by surprise, he would also want the public to know that getting take-out from restaurants who buy from local farmers directly benefits the farmers. The logic is that restaurants can’t keep the fresh produce they get from farmers for long periods of time. By getting take-out meals from those restaurants, you’re providing business for the restaurant and creating a demand for the farmers’ goods.
I had such a great experience at my local farmers’ market. The only “bad” part about it is that you can see exactly who grew and produced your food. For me, that was a problem because I felt a sense of obligation to those people as they could see me trifling through the product of their labor. For instance, I didn’t plan to buy any mint when I arrived. However, I talked to the sweetest old man who had bundles of fresh mint left, even though the market’s closing hour was nearing. He was so proud of his work, and I simply couldn’t walk away empty handed; I bought 7 bundles and received 3 as a gift. I don’t regret getting bamboozled though, I knew exactly who was getting my money.
With all of this in mind, I can definitively say that I’ll be buying local more. Not only did I enjoy my time, but I also felt proud knowing that my choices were actively contributing to the livelihood of others. Little ole me and my actions were helping to spread, or pollinate, sustainability, good food, and, dare I say, love.
Cheerfully,
Chelsea-Starr Jones
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