My last trip to the winter Farmer's Market was about a month ago, right after the Family Farmed Expo. I noticed that the market was much busier than usual, and I wondered if fellow Expo attendees had learned of it's existence there and decided to start patronizing it. I made a mental note to myself to arrive earlier the next week so I would be able to get some eggs before they ran out.
Little did I know that the busy-ness was probably because that day's market was actually the last of the season. D'oh! No wonder it was so busy. I fretted and lamented: the summer farmer's market wasn't to open for another few months. Where could I get the truly local and Au Naturale foodstuffs that only a farmer's market could provide? I preferred to get my eggs, milk and meat there because I could talk to the farmers directly about how they raised their animals, as well as know that I was supporting local farmers directly. And those wheat berry tortillas... I only had one left! Sigh.
Around the same time I had a chance to chat with a former co-worker who now lives downstate in Champaign. She is doing a masters thesis that is focused on sustainable farming/organics/reducing meat consumption (and I know that I'm not getting her thesis exactly right, but you get the idea). I mentioned during our convesation how nice it must be for her to be downstate, amongst all the farmers, and able to practice what she preaches so much easier than it is for me up in the big city. To my surprise, she assumed that it must be easier for me- they don't have much in the way of winter markets down there, really nothing in the way of Whole Foods, and there are some co-ops but she really thought I had more options by being in a metropolis.
How interesting it is to look at something from the outside, right? The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I can indeed shop and eat Au Naturally despite being hundreds of miles away from the farms. After all, just down the street from my office is Chicago's Downtown Farmstand, which I first mentioned in a very early post. All of their items come from within 250 miles of Chicago. This weekend, I took a quick loop around Green Grocer Chicago, a small organic farmstand very close to my house that I just keep forgetting about. They carry organic, local, and sustainable foodstuffs in a small storefront that's only a short drive further than my local grocery store. Could you cross off your entire shopping list there? Not often. But I could find a variety of chicken, duck, and sausages from farms I recognize, such as Mint Creek Farm, and I walked out with a fresh carton of eggs. Further north in the Logan Square neighborhood you can find Dill Pickle Food Co-op. And don't forget about the Friday Amish storefront with the magic donut holes and other goods.
So I challenge you, oh loyal 3 or 4 readers, to reach out and find your own neighborhood propriators of local and organic products. And share them here! There is no reason that we have to wait for summer markets and CSAs to eat locally and Au Naturale. After all, I've proven to myself that you don't have to look very hard to find a wealth of options under your nose.
No comments:
Post a Comment