Farmers’ Markets are not just for the weekend {Foodie Friday}

By Lyndi Fultz, nwafoodie

Who here loves a leisurely stroll through the local farmers’ market on a lazy weekend morning? Besides the fact that you can go home with a bounty of local produce and handmade goods, what is not to love about potentially bumping into a neighbor, friend, co-worker, and chatting it up with the booth tender? And people-watch. Definitely people-watch.

Farmers’ Markets are the definitive symbol of all what is good about summertime. And fireflies.

Here is another question for you. Who here loves a leisurely stroll through the local farmers’ market… on a busy weekday morning?

Anyone?

If you are not taking advantage of the weekday farmers’ market, you are missing out. I find that I can easily eat lunch, stroll the market to determine all that is available, make my selections, make my purchase, chat with the booth tender, and then head back to the office over my lunch hour.

It can make your weekday extra-special.

I got to thinking about Northwest Arkansas and all of the farmers’ markets in our area and something clicked. If someone was so inclined, they could pretty much go to a farmers’ market every day of the week. Yes, almost every day of the week! How cool is that?

Monday – West Fork

Tuesday – Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Siloam Springs, Springdale

Wednesday – Rogers, Green Fork, West Fork, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

Thursday – Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Springdale

The Rogers farmers’ market is one of my weekday favorite lunchtime errands. Shopping for fruits and vegetables over lunchtime makes me feel like I am doing my part in contributing to the local economy. Shopping there makes me think about why it is important for all of us take advantage of this summertime event.

5 reasons to shop at your local farmers’ market on a weekday:

1.You are supporting small businesses and farmers who arrive after they harvest their weekday bounty.

support small businesses and farmers

2. You will be surprised by extraordinary offerings like zucchini squash blossoms.

squash blossoms

3.You get the pick of the litter since the crowds are smaller on the weekday.

corn

4.You have to buy your weekly fruits and vegetables anyway. Why not buy and support local?

weekly bounty

veggie fare 5. It forces you to slow down. There isn’t much better than observing a farmer with his kid tending a booth or two old-timers spinning tales about gardening, fishing, and small town living.

old timers spinning tales

As the kids go back to school and summer winds down, farmers’ market are one last lingering aspect of summer that will keep on for at least the next few months.

Let’s take advantage of them more often.

They are more than just a weekend trip.

Eat well, my friends. Eat well.

Lyndi, NWAFoodie, writes about living and eating well from her life in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. Much of her blogging inspiration comes from this gem of a place which she refers to as the proverbial land of milk-and-honey.