Farmer's Market Day

Yesterday I went to three different farmer's markets. I got to our small, local Bellville market just before closing time and I was lucky enough to catch Joan of Meadow Rise Farms just as she was packing up. She gave me a bagful of organic peppers for only $5. Unfortunately I was too late to catch the bread lady, who grinds her own flour and makes wonderful bread, she had sold her last loaf at 10:00. I also had a fried pie from an Amish girl, and bought a bag of buckwheat pancake mix.

I am really feeling like a failure since I haven't even taken one day this summer to load up my little Aztek with produce to sell at this market, but I'm in a quandary. Too much produce for my own use, not quite enough to make it worth the extra effort of going to market.

The second market I attended yesterday was a little farther away, the festival at Mohican Gardens that I mentioned a few days ago. It took me a while to get there on the highway, especially since I took the wrong exit at first, but the return trip was a little shorter as I took the back roads. There was a wonderful demonstration on herbs while I was there, I talked to a summer intern from the Ohio Proud program (he said to watch for a totally revamped program and website in November.) I also bought a carful of mums for planting around my patio. There were a few farm market stalls and I bought a loaf of bread. I picked up flyers for Turk Brothers custom meats in Ashland.

The third market wasn't intentional at all, but since I was driving by I had to stop. It was the Malabar farms produce stand. There was a great article in Ohio magazine about the farm produce stand and restaurant on Pleasant Valley Road. I bought three luscious, shiny eggplants. I will have to see how I will sneak them into DH's dinner..