Spring Time

Freshly picked dandelion greens

It is spring in Wisconsin. The snow is melted; people are preparing their gardens; and the outdoor farmers' markets will be starting soon. I love buying fresh vegetables directly from the folks who grow them and talking to them about their wares. Not many people will wax poetic about heirloom tomato plants, but your best bet to find one is by strolling through your local market. The prices are often much better than the supermarket since the overhead is lower, and the growers can help you to learn about how to spot the most flavorful produce. There are a lot of things that are hard or impossible to find at the supermarket. (Kohlrabi and ground cherries come to mind when thinking of those delicious gems.)

You want to know the major drawback of the farmers' market? It is the same as one of the major pitfalls of shopping at the co-op. The members of the Food Worshiping Religious Order of Earth Savers. If you do not know what I mean, you might be one of them. They are the ones who insist that all their food be organic and hyperventilate if their hummus touches gluten. Their purchases are carried around in a canvas bag purchased off Etsy, and the back of their Prius has "Buy Local" and "Namaste" bumper stickers on it. These folks use their disposable income (and often consumer debt) to salve their burden of guilt about something....everything. 

Now, I love to have food that is locally sourced and not chemical laden. (I will even forage for wild berries and dandelions for a fresh meal.) I have some reusable totes (with logos advertising whatever company gave me the bag for free). I want to be a good steward of the world; I do not believe that throwing money at the problems that we face is the solution. We are going to need to actually get our hands dirty to make a difference.