View Full Version : Farmers Markets are great...
Belmont31R
08-03-11, 19:05
Does anyone else do this?
Some things are more than the grocery store, and most are less. All locally grown stuff. I hate seeing how much foreign food is in big stores now. I methodically check most everything at them now, and you'd be surprised where some stuff comes from.
I personally think its awesome we still have people out there making their own stuff to sell, and not just doing the 9-5 to make money to go throw away in a box store where the money is transported to some corporate HQ. The FM I go is small but pretty good. Can get a big sack of peppers for like 4-5 bucks (2 each at box store), bread, jams, honey, meats, onions, tomatoes, ect. In fact I still order jerky from a place in WA I found at a FM when we lived there.
The reason I started doing this is...is because look at the box store where their food comes from. Lots of produce and canned goods are overseas or out of the US. I bought some jarred jalapenos today, and right next door to each other one was from india and one was from LA, USA. Same price and the front label made no mention of where the were from. Had to read the fine print on the back.
GermanSynergy
08-03-11, 19:30
We have an Amish market here, and in the summer I buy honey, corn and melons from them. Nice folks and i don't mind giving them my money.
woodandsteel
08-03-11, 19:37
I love going to different Farmers Markets. Especially when you can smell the produce as you walk up to it.
Next to the farmer's market, my favorite thing is the fresh sweet corn stands. Around here, at this time of year, you can't turn a corner without running into a sweet corn or other type of fresh produce stand.
I've been buying eggs and hamburger from a local farm. I know they are from "free-range" chickens because I have to watch for them when I come up their driveway. The eggs taste better and have a different texture than store-bought eggs.
montanadave
08-03-11, 20:40
We're lucky to have a large Farmer's Market every Saturday and, in addition to plenty of locals, we have a couple of large Hutterite colonies in the vicinity who always show up with tons of produce. Plus loads of food venders offering up everything from Thai food to BBQ, buffalo jerky to homemade candies, you name it.
And later this month, the trucks will start rolling into town with fresh cherries from the Flathead Lake area, kind of a summer tradition around Montana.
Another summer favorite is fresh sweet corn. My dad would buy a couple of dozen ears from a roadside stand, us kids would sit on the porch and shuck it, and one of us would finally be instructed to "get the knife." The knife was Dad's navy K-bar from WWII which was stashed in his sock drawer and only came out to make corn off the cob. My dad would slice the tips off the kernels of corn into a black cast iron pan, squeeze the milk from the ears with the back off the blade, drop a full stick of butter into the pan, add a ton of coarse ground pepper, and slow simmer it for about half an hour. Then we'd sit and eat the whole pan. Larrupin' good stuff. :happy:
Moose-Knuckle
08-03-11, 21:53
My better half and I purchase our food from a local farmers market/natural grocers.
My father and grandfather were career ag men. I only buy fresh from florida when I can, of course I know where they are grown and what to look for. Also, I've spent 13 years being paid by one of those big corporate companies that happens to have been quite good to me.
I'm of two minds about farmer's markets.
On one hand, I love going to them. Watching people, and playing handsies with my wife is one of my favorite things.
There are actually some good bargains at some of them. And there are some products of type or quality that are unavailable outside the market.
But some of them, especially the biggest ones, appear to be designed to skin stupid city people.
I am a farm kid, so am spoiled a bit when it comes to fresh produce. And am actually considering going into truck farming after I get done contracting. My work partner is looking into doing farmer's markets and I am thinking about partnering with her if/when she does.
I'm of two minds about farmer's markets.
On one hand, I love going to them. Watching people, and playing handsies with my wife is one of my favorite things.
There are actually some good bargains at some of them. And there are some products of type or quality that are unavailable outside the market.
But some of them, especially the biggest ones, appear to be designed to skin stupid city people.
I am a farm kid, so am spoiled a bit when it comes to fresh produce. And am actually considering going into truck farming after I get done contracting. My work partner is looking into doing farmer's markets and I am thinking about partnering with her if/when she does.
some of my friends are the trendy "city peeps". They like to tell me about the bell peppers they bought and get bummed when I tell them that the stuff on my shelves come from the same farm 20 min south of town!
tiger seven
08-04-11, 10:46
I'm a big fan of farmers' markets. Thankfully there is a pretty good one, right in the heart of Louisville, about three blocks from where I live. I'm there every Saturday morning they're open. :)
Derek
Typically the food not only tastes better but is much better for you as well due to proximity and not losing valuable nutrients from being picked too early to ripen on it's journey. One of my biggest priorities in finding a place to live outside of Vegas is somewhere we can have our own garden to grow our food.
I'd definitely recommend checking out these videos if you'd like to educate yourself more about food, farming and what happens to our food in between growing it and where you purchase it. They're all available on Netflix streaming.
Ingredients.
Food Matters.
Fat, sick & nearly dead.
Colony.
Typically the food not only tastes better but is much better for you as well due to proximity and not losing valuable nutrients from being picked too early to ripen on it's journey. One of my biggest priorities in finding a place to live outside of Vegas is somewhere we can have our own garden to grow our food.
I'd definitely recommend checking out these videos if you'd like to educate yourself more about food, farming and what happens to our food in between growing it and where you purchase it. They're all available on Netflix streaming.
Ingredients.
Food Matters.
Fat, sick & nearly dead.
Colony.
Yeah, most of that is pure bullshit.
Even green picked, GMO for appearance, veggies and fruit are "good enough" to ensure proper nutrition.
One of my pet peeves are citified idiots who take basic nutrition, ignore scale effects and then adopt so-called "organics" as some kind of religion.
Really, they take it waaaay too far.
But, hey, I got a couple of ****ing fair dust encrusted bell peppers fer ya, that won't kill your kids like the grocery store ones for $1000 each, if you're interested.
I think most of you would be shocked at how many of those truck stands and farmer's markets get their veggies at the same distributor as your grocery market does. And then mark it up 500%.
Yeah, most of that is pure bullshit.
Most of what? What's detailed in the titles I suggested or the fact that freshly picked vegetables are better for you? Have you seen them or are you just making a generalization?
At the least I'd much rather have heirloom, fresh picked garden vegetables that taste far better than the crap in the grocery stores and that ain't bullshit. :dirol:
Belmont31R
08-04-11, 13:22
I'm a huge fan of the Farmer Markets!
I like them for those reasons, too. Don't really notice any dirty types of hippies as they tend to stick inside the Austin city limits.
I cook a lot of our own meals (my wife has a mother who thinks cooking means sticking a freezer meal in the microwave), and I don't really want to feed my family stuff coming from 3rd world countries or places with little to no standards. I want that money staying in the US not being sent overseas.
You also get some unique items there people have come with whereas the box stores are all big brand stuff thats mass produced. Theres a lady at ours that makes some awesome pasta that is much more flavorful than grocery store types. The grocery store wants like 2/ea for yellow or orange peppers. I get a bag full of 3-4 different types for 5.
Trying to feed our kids healthy items too. We don't by sweets, really, no juice that is basically sugar water, no shitty cereals which is terrible for you, ect.
Another good place to shop are asian markets. I love oriental food and eat rice probably 3-4 times a week. A lot of that food is made overseas but its generally cheaper and better quality than grocery store stuff which is always short on asian food. One little section like 5ft wide and 7ft tall...most of it junk imitation stuff asians dont even eat.
I'm a huge fan of the Farmer Markets! I think the food quality is usually far better than store bought and the money goes to local farmers. I would much rather buy local non-organic food than "organic" food produced in Mexico and I'd rather my money go to small business owners than supermarket corporations. Price can be better or worse than supermarkets depending on the product and time of year. The only thing I hate about it is the never ending stream of urban types who think they are saving the planet by shopping at the farmer markets with each and every one of them driving around in a BMW with an Obama sticker on it. These are the same idiots who parade around their hemp bags, but still use a brand new plastic bag to put the veggies/fruits in for each purchase. But my biggest peeve is watching these hippies stick their filthy hands into the free samples instead of using the toothpicks or tongs provided. Just because they believe in Kumbya and all that stuff doesn't mean I want to share in God know what disease they carry. But the quality of the food and the fact that I'm voting with my wallet make it all worth it.
I do my part by wearing a LaRue, BCM, or Tactical Tailor hat and FLETC shirt, now if I could only get one for my 8 month old son.
You also get some unique items there people have come with whereas the box stores are all big brand stuff thats mass produced. Theres a lady at ours that makes some awesome pasta that is much more flavorful than grocery store types. The grocery store wants like 2/ea for yellow or orange peppers. I get a bag full of 3-4 different types for 5.
Trying to feed our kids healthy items too. We don't by sweets, really, no juice that is basically sugar water, no shitty cereals which is terrible for you, ect.
Another good place to shop are asian markets. I love oriental food and eat rice probably 3-4 times a week. A lot of that food is made overseas but its generally cheaper and better quality than grocery store stuff which is always short on asian food. One little section like 5ft wide and 7ft tall...most of it junk imitation stuff asians dont even eat.
Things like Savoy Cabbage or Cippolini Onions are just two examples of things that we found at the "Farmer Marts" that wouldn't be found in most supermarkets and are real treats. I'm not studied enough to really say if the nutritional value of supermarket food is less than farmer market food, but I will say that the taste is usually far better. Growing up in Wyoming, our produce came from the supermarket and it was usually very basic. Now in California, the selection in food is mind boggling. There are millions of things I will fault about Kalifornia, but the culinary and agricultural diversity is not one of them.
When the wife and I were thinking about moving to Texas permanently (I was living in Houston for a year or so) we were looking at the Austin area in no small part due to the Farmer markets in the area.
Yeah, most of that is pure bullshit.
Even green picked, GMO for appearance, veggies and fruit are "good enough" to ensure proper nutrition.
One of my pet peeves are citified idiots who take basic nutrition, ignore scale effects and then adopt so-called "organics" as some kind of religion.
Really, they take it waaaay too far.
But, hey, I got a couple of ****ing fair dust encrusted bell peppers fer ya, that won't kill your kids like the grocery store ones for $1000 each, if you're interested.
I think most of you would be shocked at how many of those truck stands and farmer's markets get their veggies at the same distributor as your grocery market does. And then mark it up 500%.
why not post some proof you have and also proof of the downsides of what might be in or on those GMO items and also what its doing to the world food supply ! seriously watch them and tell me monsanto is a good company !
their comes a time when you have to also look at the other side of things :) and again look at what can be in or on the GMO crap that is not good
yes many take it way to far and agree about the farmers markets thats why you have to find good ones and get to know the farmers/growers
their is truth to age and nutrition though :) while yes grocery store stuff has plenty might as well get more and way way better taste in most cases and the other side whats on or in the the GMO grocery store stuff ? if you have to wash the heck out or peel it their goes some nutrition
DDT is just fine wont hurt you trust us !!! sound familiar
agree about organics can be like fat free products :) its a great buzzword
but organics done proper can be better in many ways not only what little nutrition gain their is but again WHATS NOT IN THEM !!!!
Typically the food not only tastes better but is much better for you as well due to proximity and not losing valuable nutrients from being picked too early to ripen on it's journey. One of my biggest priorities in finding a place to live outside of Vegas is somewhere we can have our own garden to grow our food.
I'd definitely recommend checking out these videos if you'd like to educate yourself more about food, farming and what happens to our food in between growing it and where you purchase it. They're all available on Netflix streaming.
Ingredients.
Food Matters.
Fat, sick & nearly dead.
Colony.
going to watch colony had not seen that one ?
funny I was going to quote about the same movies and also 2 more
Food inc.
The Future of Food
these movies documentaries make me want to do more of my own hunting or getting local meat products etc.. which I used to do on Maui never ate any main brand stuff really
Maui had great farmers markets
have not found good ones here in my area but going to start looking lucky we have a good store nearby that has good stuff
those movies really opened my eyes and got me thinking
Food inc.
The Future of Food
I'd forgotten about Food Inc, I watch a lot of documentaries, but will definitely be watching Future of Food.
Regardless of whether people think the food grown locally is more nutritious or not I still like the fact that it takes a lot less fossil fuels to get them to market and that's always a good thing in my opinion. Why buy fruits & veggies from Mexico when I can help support my local community and help keep Americans farmers working?
Irish good points
I can say on Maui things like Pineapple we used to pick taste nothing like any I have ever had on the mainland ?
same with when I would fish or other things fresh is just that fresh :) and age does not help fresh type foods
funny thing about bananas as when they are yellow on the tree and then cut down they are so so so much better but then again Maui had Apple Bananas that you can not get on the mainland and once you have them you wont ever want regular ones :)
also Maui is big on supporting local and keeping it local and I really want to do it more here and again I think its getting to know who does what at markets and knowing who is really bringing things to market that are truly fresh for those that have been to Maui and the road to Hana the local side stands are a good source for fresh stuff often you can go to some growers place and get what you want rather than waiting for the market :)
also the e coli and crap that seem to be tainting so much of our food these days makes me wonder how well things are handled etc..
we have friends that had their own meat company they grew the cattle without any hormone junk and let them eat good grass and such and the taste is superior to regular meat
going to start Colony in a hour once the kids are in bed :)
Most of what? What's detailed in the titles I suggested or the fact that freshly picked vegetables are better for you? Have you seen them or are you just making a generalization?
At the least I'd much rather have heirloom, fresh picked garden vegetables that taste far better than the crap in the grocery stores and that ain't bullshit. :dirol:
To a certain extent, it tastes better because you believe it does.
Do you know what "organic" means? It means rich people eat and everyone else starves. It is also codeword for stupid hippy douchebag. Like the word "gay", it's been coopted by dumbasses. When is the last time you ate "inorganic" food?
why not post some proof you have and also proof of the downsides of what might be in or on those GMO items and also what its doing to the world food supply ! seriously watch them and tell me monsanto is a good company !
their comes a time when you have to also look at the other side of things :) and again look at what can be in or on the GMO crap that is not good
Since the food paranoiacs have made it a religion to believe their tinfoil hat conspiracy theory bullshit, it is neither my responsibility to post "proof" nor is it possible. Frankly, like most conspiracy theories, it depends on the low level of education combined with lack of critical thinking.
yes many take it way to far and agree about the farmers markets thats why you have to find good ones and get to know the farmers/growers
their is truth to age and nutrition though :) while yes grocery store stuff has plenty might as well get more and way way better taste in most cases and the other side whats on or in the the GMO grocery store stuff ? if you have to wash the heck out or peel it their goes some nutrition
DDT is just fine wont hurt you trust us !!! sound familiar
A Fine example. DDT never killed as many people as malaria has. But stupid ****ers had it banned, and now malaria is a common disease again.
DDT isn't about crops. It's about stopping malaria, but your lack of knowledge relating to agriculture is not surprising. Most of your co-religionists know nothing or less about agriculture, but still make pronouncements as if they were fact.
agree about organics can be like fat free products :) its a great buzzword
but organics done proper can be better in many ways not only what little nutrition gain their is but again WHATS NOT IN THEM !!!!
If anyone really gave a flying **** about agriculture, they'd immediately start campaigning to stop the subsidization of American agriculture, and the dumping of grains on the international market.
They'd also start campaigning against the "Feed the World" type NGOs that dump free food on at-risk and starving countries.
The deal is, most folks who believe in organics and what-not don't think things through.
That, and they use the various "evils" of modern agriculture to scapegoat their own piggishness and inability regulate their intake.
yes my lack of knowledge is not surprising ?
but your ignorance is also not surprising saying stuff about someones knowledge without knowing them usually shows either your age ? 20 something or imature early 30s ? or you yourself are purely ignorant so you feel others are ?
I could have used agent orange then ?
but DDT while it worked also had side effects on not only people but the mosquitoes have become more resistant and now the chemicals have to be stronger and worse !
having lived in Honduras where Malaria and other diseases were common place I actually know quite a bit about the stuff
and used it as a example of OH its safe and yet all kinds of side effects on people and what its being used on came forward
agent orange of course is the big thing in crops and round up which basically came from agent orange is still OK
now with what is happening ? curious if you even know whats happening to farmers and what monsanto is doing to them ?
or am I ignorant and tin foil hat wearing again and monsanto is a great company or are they screwing farmers ? you tell me since I am stupid and you are smart ?
again taste ? well maybe you are a smoker and you have no more taste but fresh crops that are picked that day I can taste the difference over ones that are a week old
organic to me is not the label but food that is not sprayed with pesticides and are not GMO etc..
also its not about feed the world its about monsanto and the other companies who own the patents on seeds and are now controlling the food supply that is the real problem going on ? again not sure I know what I am talking about but sure you know way more than I do on this :)
yes stop subsidizing but also stop monsanto and its patents that are destroying farmers and controlling the crops
again I will bow out since you are smart I am stupid
but understand that GE foods and such are not good and have a history of issues GMO seeds are also at this risk with whats actually in the corn etc..
google Tryptophan and the issues with GE they are pretty sure caused the deaths and many to be disabled !
also back to my DDT where mosquitoes got resistant the same is happening to crops now !
its also now creating super weeds that some are battling
corn pollen has killed of monarch butterflies ? and what else in the future ?
of course the companies have enough to fight all this and make people like you believe its all good
but of course the worse part is the financial destruction of farmers who do not bend to them and their genetic seeds and now many farmers have to buy their seed every year and can no longer harvest their own
even if seeds from another farm blow into their fields they get sued and loose !
Moose-Knuckle
08-05-11, 02:18
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Food Safety Modernization Act (and the like), FDA "approved" chemicals, et al. . .no there is no conspiracy against our food supply. All is well. :jester:
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Food Safety Modernization Act (and the like), FDA "approved" chemicals, et al. . .no there is no conspiracy against our food supply. All is well. :jester:
conspiracy ? what would that be ? I do know their is a control going on not a conspiracy but who can control the seeds and crops controls the food and that is a major thing to control lots of things :)
I would not call it a conspiracy at all :)
the seed vault I have seen before :)
I dont trust the FDA :) but then again dont trust much the gov says does these days and I say look at the gun runner as good example of willing to screw the people for their own gain
I have no dog in this argument, but I will add this:
I have worked in a large number of food plants in the past. From hotdogs to microwave dinners. The absolute cleanest one I have been in made dog food. After seeing the things I have seen, I will not eat a microwave dinner or already prepared meal. I was raised cooking. When I was a kid, my grandparents were in failing health, so my parents tended to them, and I took care of household chores such as cooking. Now today, I love to cook. It's very relaxing. I am grateful that we have a garden, land with game, and a farmers market less than a mile down the road every Sat.
I know being a young college student or own your own, you don't have $$$ to cook a meal every night. Ready serve meals are tempting, but seriously I've seen some nasty sh*t in the places where those are made. Think a 50 year old latino woman sneezing onto about 20 uncovered meals as they go by on the conveyor, not covering her mouth/nose. That's the better stuff too.
My Brother & his Asian Wife are very frugal, but eat healthy meals every day. Wanna know how to eat well on the cheap, make friends with an vietnamese or cambodian family.
yes my lack of knowledge is not surprising ?
but your ignorance is also not surprising saying stuff about someones knowledge without knowing them usually shows either your age ? 20 something or imature early 30s ? or you yourself are purely ignorant so you feel others are ?
I could have used agent orange then ?
but DDT while it worked also had side effects on not only people but the mosquitoes have become more resistant and now the chemicals have to be stronger and worse !
having lived in Honduras where Malaria and other diseases were common place I actually know quite a bit about the stuff
and used it as a example of OH its safe and yet all kinds of side effects on people and what its being used on came forward
agent orange of course is the big thing in crops and round up which basically came from agent orange is still OK
now with what is happening ? curious if you even know whats happening to farmers and what monsanto is doing to them ?
or am I ignorant and tin foil hat wearing again and monsanto is a great company or are they screwing farmers ? you tell me since I am stupid and you are smart ?
again taste ? well maybe you are a smoker and you have no more taste but fresh crops that are picked that day I can taste the difference over ones that are a week old
organic to me is not the label but food that is not sprayed with pesticides and are not GMO etc..
also its not about feed the world its about monsanto and the other companies who own the patents on seeds and are now controlling the food supply that is the real problem going on ? again not sure I know what I am talking about but sure you know way more than I do on this :)
yes stop subsidizing but also stop monsanto and its patents that are destroying farmers and controlling the crops
again I will bow out since you are smart I am stupid
but understand that GE foods and such are not good and have a history of issues GMO seeds are also at this risk with whats actually in the corn etc..
google Tryptophan and the issues with GE they are pretty sure caused the deaths and many to be disabled !
also back to my DDT where mosquitoes got resistant the same is happening to crops now !
its also now creating super weeds that some are battling
corn pollen has killed of monarch butterflies ? and what else in the future ?
of course the companies have enough to fight all this and make people like you believe its all good
but of course the worse part is the financial destruction of farmers who do not bend to them and their genetic seeds and now many farmers have to buy their seed every year and can no longer harvest their own
even if seeds from another farm blow into their fields they get sued and loose !
Really. I got nothing for this freakazoid outpouring of semi-literate spew.
Small time farming was destroyed in the mid-late 70s by the forced addiction of farm credit by the banking industry.
That and the commoditization of US crops. And if you aren't freaking huge, you cannot compete with a commodity's natural up and down cycle. Monsanto had nothing to do with that, really.
The problem is, is you, and others like you get 100% of your ag knowledge from whackos and nut-jobs with an agenda. Fine. Go back to non-GMO food and do away with pesticides/herbicides. BTW, agriculture has been GMing foods since the dawn of time.
Are you going to take personal responsibility for the millions and possibly billions who will ****ing starve just to have slightly tastier food for your self?
BTW, Agent Orange has no relation to Round Up. The only link between them is they both kill weeds.
I don't think anyone has mentioned the best part about Farmers Markets…the women.
Really. I got nothing for this freakazoid outpouring of semi-literate spew.
Small time farming was destroyed in the mid-late 70s by the forced addiction of farm credit by the banking industry.
That and the commoditization of US crops. And if you aren't freaking huge, you cannot compete with a commodity's natural up and down cycle. Monsanto had nothing to do with that, really.
The problem is, is you, and others like you get 100% of your ag knowledge from whackos and nut-jobs with an agenda. Fine. Go back to non-GMO food and do away with pesticides/herbicides. BTW, agriculture has been GMing foods since the dawn of time.
Are you going to take personal responsibility for the millions and possibly billions who will ****ing starve just to have slightly tastier food for your self?
BTW, Agent Orange has no relation to Round Up. The only link between them is they both kill weeds.
again your childish age is showing ?
so you have your beliefs and everyone else is stupid you are smart :)
you remind me of the lefty dems who have to resort to childish name calling and trying to bash others down when they know they have no proof on their side !
I don't think anyone has mentioned the best part about Farmers Markets…the women.
Yes... a thousand times yes. It's even better because to a certain extent it is spousal approved ogling.
again your childish age is showing ?
so you have your beliefs and everyone else is stupid you are smart :)
you remind me of the lefty dems who have to resort to childish name calling and trying to bash others down when they know they have no proof on their side !
Not really. You bring up one bad fact after another, apparently fueled by the food hysteria industry.
Then, you ignore my points and come back and call me childish. You know why? Because you got nothing.
Tell me again what DDT has to do with agriculture.
Tell me again what 2-4-5-T (That's Agent Orange's real name, btw) has to do with Round Up and describe how Round Up is "made from Agent Orange".
Tell me again what is wrong with seed companies requiring that GMO hybrids not be replanted and how that is somehow unfair to farmers.
I don't really have to come with any facts, because yours are completely whacked. Pointing out that DDT isn't an ag issue, or that Round Up has nothing to do with Agent Orange does not require me to produce "facts". My counter is just to point out that yours are wildly inaccurate. I am assuming that is because you get your "facts" from the rabid morons who make a shit ton of money off of the gullible and ag illiterate by cherry picking data or just making it up.
It is very difficult not to say something that doesn't translate to "you are a ****ing moron" when the argument being persistently put forth is ****ing moronic. I am trying as hard as I can to not do so, but you are making it difficult.
BTW - Yes, I prefer food that is picked ripe, and do not buy my veggies based on appearance. However, I get most of my nutrional requirements from typical grocery store fare, as I eat at the DFAC about 2/3ds of the time. The other 1/3d of the time I eat Afghan food, which qualifies as "organic" and "non-GMO." I just don't see "normal" US veggies as inherently evil, nor do I demonify the big ag companies.
I will answer yours once you answer mine I asked earlier ?
not worth discussing :) I think I was dead on my guess at your age ! its showing larger each time you post :)
as they say you were born with two ears and one mouth use them accordingly :)
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