A Perfect Saturday Morning Excursion: Visit Your Local Farmers Market

A sure sign that winter is rapidly approaching, farmers markets in many communities are packing up their tents and moving indoors. In my own hamlet, the Chappaqua Farmers Market (Westchester County, New York) has moved indoors to the ground floor of St. Mary's Church from its summer home at the Metro-North railway station parking lot. Foodies and families flock to the farmers market on Saturday mornings, recyclable bags in hand, keenly anticipating the seasonal surprises they'll find.

Depending on the week, there's a changing cast of characters behind the tables and displays: a fishmonger, butchers, bakers and cupcake makers, a milkman, cheesemakers, and a knife sharpener named Mac-the-Knife — as well as vendors who bring locally produced fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, pickles, olives, olive oils, spices, and ready-to-eat prepared foods. Most of the products are local, grown within a 200-mile radius, and are both pesticide-free and sustainable.

The Chappaqua Farmers Market began in 2010, a joint venture supported by the town of New Castle and its citizens. The two closest surrounding towns, Mount Kisco on the north and Pleasantville on the south, each have vibrant markets of their own.

It's estimated that about 5000 farmers markets have sprouted up around the country. Central Market in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, having been in continuous operation for more than 275 years, is said to be the nation's oldest. While not all farmers markets can remain open year-round, many do, including the one in Chappaqua.

A number of factors account for the growing appeal of farmers markets among city-dwellers and suburban denizens:

Health & Food Safety Benefits

People realize that food produced closer to home, which hasn't been trucked or flown from thousands of miles away, or hasn't been stored and packaged in huge warehouses, is fresher and tastier. Produce and vegetables are more likely to be hand-picked when they're ripe. With more attention being focused on food safety, it is reassuring to deal directly with the farmer who has produced the food you are purchasing. If something isn't fresh or has been improperly handled, the customer is more likely to be able to pinpoint exactly who is responsible.

Sense of Community

A morning jaunt to the farmers market is a perfect excursion for anyone willing to forgo Saturday morning cartoons. There's a festive and welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like you are part of a neighborhood. Historically, whole towns have sprouted up around markets, as has been said was the case with the traveling Boqueria Market that began in Catalonia in the 1200s. Markets bring people out of their homes to meet their neighbors as well as local vendors.

New Food Experiences

Speaking directly to farmers is a wonderful way to learn about the origins of the food we eat, to taste new food products, and to learn new recipes for preparing healthy family meals. The vendors at these markets are there, in part, because they enjoy the one-on-one relationship with their customers and are only too happy to share what they know. It's a great way to educate your children and grandchildren about healthy eating.

Economic Benefits

It's vitally important to support small local farmers, whose very existence is threatened by weather shifts and the food giants. Several studies also show that farmers markets have a positive impact both on the economy of local communities and their regions.

This past week, different cuts of pork, beef and poultry were on sale at the Chappaqua market from the nearby Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a non-profit farm and educational center designed to promote sustainable, community-based food production. (Celebrity chef Dan Barber's food-to-table restaurant, Blue Hill, is an integral part of the Center.) They will be returning the first and third Saturday of every month from now on. On alternating weeks, organic meat vendor Gaia's Breath Farm will be there.

The sweet Italian sausages I prepared for dinner that weekend tasted better than any other we had ever had: perfectly flavored and tender – and they were made even more delectable knowing where they came from. 

To find a farmers market in your own community, check out these two searchable directories on the Internet:

• Local Harvest
• US Department of Agriculture

Read about the Farmer's Feast at Blue Hill on Life Goes Strong.