First Farmer's Market Trip of the Year!

Oh happy day! Yesterday was the second weeked of the East Aurora farmer's market and my first trip of the year. I was suprised to see how much produce and greenery was available; I seem to remember the first couple of weeks last year were a little on the slim side - obviously, since the growing season is still a bit early - but there were plenty of plants and flowers to choose from. The regulars were there: Pasta Peddler, the honey guy, the spice lady, the dog treat lady, the beef peeps, etc.

We did well, buying a too-much-for-two-people portion of Italian chicken sausage, which we enjoyed last night BBQ'd with the potatoes we also bought there and some steamed asparagus. I was most happy about buying eggs from my little friends, the grandkids of the couple that also sells plants. The kids weren't there but grandpa gave me a free dozen eggs and told me to return the cartons (yes!).

Lastly, I was really happy to get more of the cherry vanilla jam I love from Peppermint Farms. Now that I'm not doing a CSA this year, I'll be spending more local dollars at the market and can't wait to taste the good meals that will come from it.

NY Food Trader

From a stronger sense of community to a healthier planet to local economic advantages, the movement to eat locally is spurring the growth of farmers' markets throughout the nation — the number operating in the U.S. grew 6.8 percent from 2006 to mid-2008. Now, a new virtual farmers' market in New York State is taking that growth online. NYFoodtrader.org provides a free, quick and easy online sales outlet for farmers who want to advertise their products to local customers. Modeled after a similar site in Maryland, FoodTrader.org, the New York site lets farmers leave contact information with their listings for pesticide-free apple cider and organic pork, chicken and turkey, among other things, so consumers can contact them directly and arrange their own transactions. It's ideal for farmers who have small quantities to sell, eliminating waste and making local agriculture more sustainable. The site is run by the government-funded Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University. In the future, the center hopes to add a farm-to-farm agricultural exchange where farmers can advertise manure, hay and other items for sale or barter.

I Borrowed this from the Governing Website!!! Here is the direct link:

http://www.governing.com/idea.aspx?id=6128

East Aurora Farmer's Market

Today I happened to be in East Aurora meeting a friend for lunch, and I noticed that they had a small farmer's market set up in a shopping plaza parking lot. I had a few minutes before lunch, so I popped in for a quick visit. What a charming little market!

There were about ten vendors, selling apples, peaches, pears, plums, mounds of peppers and tomatoes, root vegetables, even a few pints of raspberries. A few plants and herbs were for sale at one stand as well. Nice variety, both in terms of produce and vendors.

I spent $6.50 and walked away with a couple of pounds of Bartlett pears and probably 5 pounds of turnips. The turnip seller was a sweet-looking old lady who threw in an extra turnip and asked me how I was going to prepare them. I said I would probably mash them (I didn't want to admit I'd never eaten a turnip, they just looked too pretty to pass up) and she said I should make sure to use butter, salt, and a bit of pepper. Now I just need to figure out what goes well with mashed turnips.

The market is open on weekdays from 7-1 and I hear that it is quite crowded on Saturdays. If you live in the Southtowns, far from Bidwell's bounty, it is definitely worth a trip.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Buffalo Locavore. This blog will be a forum to share information on eating local, including reviews of locally-sourced restaurants, farmers' markets, CSAs, community gardens, recipes for seasonal produce, and what is growing in backyards across Buffalo.

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