Signs of Spring

I’ve been eagerly checking out my garden for early signs of life:  shoots from the bulbs I planted in the fall, baby perennials, leaf buds on trees and shrubs.  Well, here is one more:  The Farmer’s market is waking up!!

This winter has felt long and grey and cold, and after months of QUICK trips through the market on blustery Saturday mornings–quick because there have been only about three vendors there since the holiday hub-bub died down–yesterday there were easily 10 vendors!!  The egg guy, who is usually sold out and gone by 8am was still there at 9:30!  Instead of an occasional stall selling salad greens, there were 3 or 4!  I saw plants for the garden–flowers and herbs!  Needless to say, for this weekly customer at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, it was a welcome sight after a long winter.

Soon, I’ll start to see other signs of spring–Asparagus and peas to name a few!  I’m also looking forward to seeing some of my favorite farmers.

In this category, I hope to encourage readers to consider a few things in addition to nutrition and yummy flavors–where has your food come from?  Who grew it?  How much time has elapsed from harvest to your plate?  How many gallons of gasoline went into its journey from farm to your fridge?  Are there any harmful pesticides?  Weird antibiotics or growth hormones?  Aside from its cost to you personally, what is the cost it has on the environment?  These are all important questions to ask yourself because they are all things that affect your quality of life.

If one of your goals is to have a healthier lifestyle, I can’t think of a better way to start than by encouraging you to become a regular customer at your local farmer’s market.  Dare yourself to try a new veggie every week.  If you don’t know how to prepare it–ask the person who grew it.  This is a great way to get to know the folks who feed you, get a variety of fruits and veggies in your diet, eat produce at the height of ripeness (and nutritional value), support the local economy (badly needed right now in SE Michigan…), reduce your carbon footprint, and your inner Foodie will love it too.