The Farmer’s Market

Writes Catholic Southern Mom:

This Saturday morning, I made it to the Farmer’s Market on the square. First, I ran some errands, and finally made it over to the Market right before noon.

The farmer and farmwife from whom I bought today are a great looking couple, in their late 50s. The farmer said he had been up since 3:30am, picking and packing, and then driving in and setting up his tables and baskets around 5:30am. So, he was tired and ready to close shop.

Everything looked peak and beautiful, bursting in color and flavor (he gives away tasting samples). I bought 4 turnips, a small mess of curly mustard greens, 3 green tomatoes, 3 red tomatoes, a big mess of okra (sadly, last of the season, if we get frost next week), and 5 little red apples … all organic, all for $6.

I think he was cutting deals in the last hour, so normally one might pay $12-15. And, it is easy to spend $30 at the Farmer’s Market; but, do not feel guilty … it is organic, you can always juice or can it, and it helps to have a relationship with where your food comes from. What, after all, do you pay for just one entreé at your favorite restaurant?

Today the farmer also had, a dozen kinds of spicy peppers, sweet potatoes, Irish and red potatoes, squashes like Acorn and Butternut, onions, two kinds of apples (both organic and super fresh; I juice one a day). I asked after kale, which I had purchased from him last week. He said he didn’t have time to pick it this morning. Pity, that. Maybe it will make it through the first light frosts of our rural Tennessee, and he will have kale next week.

He said he would have plenty of green and red tomatoes next week, for I want to make several batches of salsa and relish (Green Tomato Relish is all the rage).

He and his wife also sell every canned fruit or vegetable you can imagine, from his wife’s kitchen, $5 per 16 ounce jar. Organic, cheaper than the grocery, and fresh from the season.

They have been doing this “truck farming” for 37 years.

One wonders if he and his wife would take on a couple of helpers once a week (son and me) in exchange for some produce??  It would be satisfying to help save more of the harvest and perhaps can more for the winter.

Not that they need any help. Any leftovers the farmer has go toward fattening up his two hogs. He said he will have some sausage for sale before Christmas.

May God bless and keep the farmer!

Here are two photos.

Curly Mustard Greens and little red Apples

A mess of Okra and red and green (unripe) Tomatoes

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