Monday, May 17, 2010

Our Home Garden



I love the idea of food growing out of ground with just soil, water, and sun. Well then, why not grow my own food? Alas I live in the suburbs with what can hardly be called a front and side yard, more like a L-shaped alley. But in this little space my husband, the gardener, has managed to grow in containers: herbs, swiss chard, bok choy, tomatoes, and our new addition of a blueberry bush which I'm sure my 2 year old will consume before all of them ripen. Even with my husband's best efforts, none of it goes very far with a growing family, so I rely on farmers' markets (FM) and they rely on me.

A certified California FM means everything is grown in California and by the farmers who are selling it at the market. Food is frequently inspected by the county agricultural commissioner; growers and their farms are inspected to see if what is sold is actually grown at the farm. If the farmer is a certified organic grower, then probes are also used to test produce for pesticides. How's that for quality control!

Farmers' Markets offer a variety of fruits and vegetables compared to what is commonly sold in supermarkets and often times you'll learn that the peaches you're buying were just picked that morning when they were ripe. It's also local and grown with little or no pesticides used and to me, fruits and veggies just taste better and are healthier.

8lb cabbage $1.00

I also interact with genuine farmers who take pride in what they sell.  Although the grower didn't want to be photographed, he wanted me to take a picture of this almost 8lb cabbage that was grown organically. I asked him how it can grow so big without fertilizers or pesticides in which he said they don't need it, he'll grow squash in the same place where the fava beans grew. (My husband clarified that fava beans give off nitrogen and provide nutrients to the soil, sounds good to me.)

Not willing to just travel for fruits and veggies? FMs sell herbs, grass-fed beef, seafood, nuts, hummus, prepared foods, fresh baked bread, desserts, tamales, plants, cage-free eggs, crafts, and many unique items.

 "No share!" quoted from a 2 year old.

Best of all...free samples and there's plenty for everyone so "no share" indeed. 

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