Last day of July already. No wonder the harvest is becoming more and more bountiful each day. I’m overwhelmed by its abundance and most appreciative.

One thing all of us who attend the weekly Farmer’s Market, to sell and to buy, have in common is an appreciation for food. Real food. We are all there because food is important to us. Local food. Good food. Food that nourishes the soul as well as the body. We are there to connect through food, homemade jams, teas, bread and sweets,  fresh veggies and fruits grown by the person standing right there next to you. You can taste their labor and it is delicious.

We are all very different in a world of ways, but our appreciation of food makes us a family. And each week we get together to share and buy and sell and trade items that bring us joy.

This week we had quite a few vendors, which means a lovely array of goods. If I were to advise a visitor how best to approach our farmer’s market, I’d tell them to get a little something from everyone (which is easy because there aren’t many of us). And this is my recommendation:

• Steve and Sandy have good produce (so do I), but they do have eggs, colorful eggs, a dozen of their eggs might be blue, green, white, brown, tan, better than easter eggs. Sandy also makes really good cookies.
• Fumi, tofu. She brings all sorts of Asian goodies, crystalized ginger, roasted soy nuts, soy milk, tofu and origami earrings. I go for the tofu.
• Pam sells a lot of the same stuff I sell. But she does have herbal tea bags she makes herself with herbs she grows. Gotta get some of that.
• Belinda, what to say, everything on Belinda’s table is beyond wonderful. So you probably need to get a few things at her table. Definitely her handmade flour tortillas and red beans grown by her husband on the family’s farm. Wheat berries too, if you have a grinder you can make your own whole wheat flour. Speaking of flowers, her bouquets are amazing too and they sell out fast.
• The bread people, I forget their names, have the market cornered on baked goods. I’m sure their sticky buns and sweet rolls bring the crowds to the market on a regular basis. I always get a loaf of wheat bread from them. They grind their own flour.
• Nancy Scott, maple syrup. Nancy and Robert have the Sticky Shanty and make their own maple syrup. Ummmmm.
• The honey guy. Enough said.

And I have produce, great produce if I do say so myself. Our cash crop is garlic. More on that later. I also sell Rick’s mom’s eggs. Fantastic scratched eggs. She blows the yolk out of the eggs. Dies them in rich, dark colors, purples, blues, brown, black, reds, oranges, and then scratches detailed and intricate patterns into the eggs with a needle. More on those later too. Just needed to mention the eggs because they are something very unique at our market.

I am so thankful to be in touch with a community of food worshipers of all faiths. Amen!