Sunday, August 19, 2007

Nature's Bounty!

The much needed rain we finally had did not keep shoppers away from the Farmers' Market this week-end. The aisles were thronged with people buying flowers, handicrafts, soap, honey, fruit, eggs, cheeses, meat, and vegetables. The St. Paul Market is indeed indigenous. This year they relaxed a rule, which now states that instead of 50 miles, vendors from as far away as 70 miles from the city limits may sell their wares at the central market on week-ends or throughout the city during the week at various satellites. This pleases me; now sellers of merchandise from Central America and places distant from St. Paul do not compete with our local farmers. We have families with large agricultural holdings and mom and pop outfits with booths next to one another, selling what they have grown or made. One woman sells handicrafts made exclusively by senior citizens, another has developed a thriving business of herbs and vinegars that she mixes and packages herself. Our community of Hmong are well represented, selling both food and their beautifully embroidered handiwork. As you can see by the photo, an abundant harvest of beautiful tomatoes were everywhere. Early hours of the week-end during the summer invariably find me walking the aisles of our central market. I love it and miss it during the winter months.

17 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:46 AM

    This really did remind me of the bountiful harvest on display at the fairgrounds yesterday. There were rows of fresh tomatoes there. And everything else. Nice shot Kate.

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  2. Juicy photo ;-)

    The varieties of dishes I could prepare with those beauties...just boggles the mind!

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  3. Fabulous. Love to see one thing en masse, especially when you can eat it! The Farmers' Markets in America are such a great idea.

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  4. Anonymous10:13 AM

    Some things bear repeating. Grand photo.

    I just finished eating a tomato my hubby grew. Nothing like it.

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  5. Have you got more photos of the market, Kate? I'd love to see them (I'm a farmer's market addict!) :)

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  6. Thanks to this new rule, so distant farmers have the opportunity to come to this market and sell their delicious products. This is a great colorful and terribly appetizing post too Kate.

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  7. This trend, where only those things grown locally can be sold, is something I support whole heartedly. A growing movement in our area is to not eat anything that hasn't been grown within a hundred mile radius. Hard to do, but there are those who are giving it a go.

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  8. Hi Kate, my mouth was watering thinking that these were peaches...and it is still watering knowing that they are tomatoes!

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  9. Great photo and delicious colour!!!!

    I suppose our market (bung) could be called a Farmers' Market - it is very similar to this with local people selling their produce from the gardens and their home-made lapslaps and bilums.

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  10. yummy!! beautiful red here!

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  11. Wonderful! I can just imagine a bunch of BLTs, spaghetti sauce and ketchup.

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  12. Nothing like the freshest produce! Beautiful color and photo!

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  13. I love a good tomato sandwich with mayo and lots of pepper. Yum!

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  14. Your tomatoes look beautiful - is there anything finer this time of year? I was going to ask you if you had a large Hmong turnout at your markets as they are the most reliable vendors at the Madison market, then I read your piece & you answered my question!

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  15. Sounds like a wonderful place.

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  16. What amazing colors!!! Yummy too.

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  17. That's about how many 'maters I eat every year. Florida has it's issues, but I can get fresh ones like that the whole year. I take advantage. Wonderful, colorful shot.

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