Eat Local

June 06, 2012

There are lots of good reasons to shop your local Farmers’ Market, including the fact that it’s good for the environment and the local community. I have more personal reasons for shopping there…

1. Fresh produce tastes so much better than anything at the grocery store. (The tomatoes, corn on the cob, and fresh greens just can't be beat.)
2. I had terrible luck growing my own tomatoes in my garden last year. (It took so much effort and I only ended up with a few tomatoes, but I've heard it was a tough year for a lot of people.)
3. It's really fun to see what's in season and try new things.

The Lee’s Summit Farmers’ Market is my personal favorite because it’s right here in town. When I went for the first time this year, I was surprised to see that they had asparagus. I’m a fairly recent convert to grilled asparagus, but I’d only bought it at the grocery store so far. Wow…what a difference! They also had a vendor there selling fresh herbs, and I picked up a little basil plant that is already growing profusely in the little spot I found for it in my garden. There are always several vendors selling produce, but there are also usually vendors selling jams, jellies, baked goods, fresh flowers, candles, meat, and eggs. Each time I go, it seems there’s something that wasn’t there the last time. The Lee’s Summit Farmers’ Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to sellout (usually around 2 p.m.) and is open until November 24.

There are lots of other local Farmer’s Markets in town, including the big City Market north of downtown Kansas City. There are also markets in Blue Springs, Independence, Parkville, Brookside, Zona Rosa, Liberty, Olathe, Westport, and downtown Overland Park. Which one is your favorite, and what are your favorite things to buy there?

If you’re interested in growing your own food (and you have more of a green thumb than I do), you can browse through some gardening books in the Adult Non-Fiction section 635. 

Lori G.  
Colbern Road Branch