Yesterday my very good friend invited me to go to the St. Joseph, Minnesota Farmer’s Market. Neither of us had been there before, so we decided to venture out and see what it had to offer. We were not disappointed. We both love healthy, natural food and fresh produce. Supporting the local economy and farmers is really important too. Ever since reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I have tried to shop more locally and purchase as much organic foods as I can. For instance, last holiday season, I bought my sister and mom jewelry designed and made by a local artist. In a perfect world, I would have my own garden and attend farmer’s markets all the time, but I have a black thumb and going to the grocery store is just too convenient (I mean, since I work there). It does help that I work in the natural foods department and that the store I work for, Coborn’s, supports local producers and farmers. Every year we have a big promotion featuring all of the “Made in Minnesota” products we sell.
So we finally made our way to the farmer’s market after talking about it for months and months. I was so pleased to have my camera with me because there were so many beautiful things to take photos of! I’m glad I had my friend with me too, because she’s not afraid to ask the vendors questions. We learned a lot that I wouldn’t have otherwise. We came across sunflower oil, honey, grass-fed beef, raw cheese, fresh-baked bread (sigh….) and tons and tons of vegetables. We bought a lot, but I don’t feel guilty because it’s great quality and we are supporting the local economy. Here are some photos from the farmer’s market:
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| multi-colored green beans (I ended up buying these) |
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| cute flower arrangements in pop bottles |
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| sunflowers (and my favorite photo) |
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| squash |
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| fresh-baked croissants |
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| ….and tons and tons of the freshest produce |
