Living in the the Midwest, the fruits and veggies I enjoyed seemingly all year long as a child in California have a much shorter growing season out here because of weather. Just when the Michigan peaches we've been waiting for are in season, the season seems to be over. The blueberries have changed over the past few weeks--they are the smaller, more delicate ones but still delicious, still a handful of goodness. And now, there are tomatoes, THOSE tomatoes that will be canned and made into tomato sauce for the winter. We just picked up our first box yesterday. There will be several more to come over the next few weeks as with the last of the peaches, blueberries and honey from Wisconsin.
Yesterday, as I do every Sunday morning, just before 9AM, I roused a not too happy tweener to come with me to the Skokie Farmers Market. With the waning days of summer, I do find myself buying more and more each week to can and freeze. Last week we got 25lbs of peaches and the requisite 10lb box of blueberries; this week it was 15lbs of peaches and 25lbs of tomatoes (all seconds), plus a 5lb bottle of buckwheat honey (we are almost done with the bottle we bought in June) so it helps to have some help to carry everything!
As we tend to shop from the same vendors at the market, the farmers now recognize us. My older one especially is nothing but smiles when he gets asked about how football is going and is happy to sample the fruit offered to him.
Yesterday, he finally asked why I go to the market every Sunday as we were waiting to pay. And my answer was simple. "Farm to table. These are the people that grew the pear you are enjoying right now and have a 3-4 hour round trip drive to make it happen." Our conversation didn't go unnoticed as I overheard someone ask "Who is that?" And the response was "She's here every weekend with one of her kids." And my older one smiled as only an 11 year old boy with braces can--as wide as he could, with a sweet drippy pear in hand that was devoured before we picked up our tomatoes and a few other things for the week. For his efforts and being roused early, said child was rewarded with a ridiculously amazing crepe, made on the spot with fresh raspberries (I have a suspicion I know where those came from) and Nutella filling. Mom of course got a few bites in--ah...next time, I'm getting my own. No way am I sharing such a treat!
Farm to Table. For me, and now my kids, going to the market is relationship building, as well as supporting our regional farming community. They know where the peach that they pulled out of the basket on the way out the door came from and what it took for the peach to make it into our home. Come January when it's insanely cold or there is a foot of snow outside, we'll be able to reach into the pantry, or freezer, and pull out a bit of the summer goodness to enjoy and I am grateful for that.
Farm to Table. It's really quite that easy and delicious!
Note, these words are my own. I do mention the farmers we see every week because they are our Farm to Table but was not compensated in any way or asked to mention them in my post(s).