farmer's markets

farmer’s markets. long before there were gigantic supermarkets with ample parking and a starbucks inside, the little wooden stand with just-picked produce was a staple element in any tiny town. but today, there is a grassroots movement that has built into a total resurgence of locally grown and organic food.

but here’s the thing: it’s often more expensive. so why not continue to buy your food with high fructose corn syrup and polysorbate 80? when it’s only 38 cents per metric ton, it's hard to justify a pricey pomegranate.

you want it organic? you pay for it. milk alone is one good example. but people are paying for it more and more to avoid the bovine growth hormones and anything else that might surreptitiously get into your cow juice.

there have been numerous articles about the benefits of fresh food. the rate of obesity has grown steadily over the years, especially in our children. high fructose corn syrup is one of the main factors in the size of our ever-growing posteriors. and not surprisingly, the rate of diabetes has grown with it. isn’t this enough of a reason to buy fresh, local foods?

a new york times article dated january 15th of this year detailed a recent study done at UCLA for the federally-funded woman, infants and children program. they monitored over 600 women who were given weekly vouchers in the amount of $10 to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmer’s markets. the outcome was that “[a]fter six months, women who shopped at the farmers’ markets were eating about three additional servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to the control group. supermarket shoppers consumed 1.5 extra servings.”

the article went on to point out that the women liked the community experience of a farmer’s market and the produce appeared fresher than at the supermarkets.

so while it might take a few extra pennies, the farmer's market and the atmosphere it provides on a sunny weekend is probably worth your health in the long run.