Together at the Table: Farmers' Markets

by Meredith Paterson

I decided to call these Saturday posts "Together at the Table" because I wanted to use them to talk about all of the ways food factors into our lives. What we eat, how we purchase or grow our food, and how we eat it are decisions that reflect so many of our values.

Over the past few months, I have begun to slowly slowly change my food patterns. I used to be the queen of takeout. I was scared of the kitchen and scared that if I committed to cooking my own meals I would lose a lot of freedom in my life. Because of some health issues, I had to change all of that. Eating out became problematic, and it made more sense to start cooking. I say all of this because I am at the beginning of this journey. I have a lot to learn. In the short time that I have been at this, though, I have begun to realize that I was missing quite a lot by placing all of my meals in someone else's hands.

What I type in this space will be about my adventures with reconnecting with food, and I hope you'll share your own adventures. The biggest lesson learned so far is that the where I thought I'd lose freedom, I found abundance. And one of the ways I learned abundance was through the farmers' market.

Talking directly with the people who grow the food I am eating means that each vegetable has a story, and when I cook it, I feel the pride of the people who took so much care to bring it to life. There is a richness to food that I had not been mindful of before.

Taking the whole family to the market is an opportunity to talk about where our food actually comes from and what has to happen for it to get to our plates. And my hope is that starting this conversation at the market will mean that kids want to help prepare the food that they have helped to choose and that they will be willing to try the food that they now know so much about.

If you have a farmers' market nearby, try it this week and notice whether it changes how you feel about the food you prepare and eat. Let us know about your farmers' market stories in the comments below.