A Day at the Market

Yesterday, I spent part of my evening at Phinney Farmers Market, a local farmers market in north Seattle. Normally, my main goal at farmers markets is sampling. It's a lot like the weekly Costco trips I used to take with my mom, just for the free food, but this is even better. The farmers market system in Seattle is quite a shock to me, because coming from Boise, I'm used to a more commercialized farmers market, every Saturday in downtown Boise. Think of the donuts at Pike's Place with lots of arts and crafts things and a few fresh produce booths thrown in. Although some people make use of it, a lot of it is for show. Not so with these small but productive markets around Seattle. To my surprise, people were going to the market as if they were going grocery shopping; buying all their fresh organic produce for the week, and perhaps getting a pizza to go or some grass fed beef for dinner.

In class the other day we had a discussion dealing with the importance of buying organic versus genetically modified foods. Since labels are not required for GMO, how do we know if what we are putting in our stomach has been genetically altered? At the farmer's market, however, there are many small businesses that are still producing the old fashioned way, and their business depends on it. The first third of the book The Omivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan deals with the production and uses of corn. I was appalled to find that corn is used for almost every foodstuff, including the use of corn to produce the shiny surface of cucumbers. Since when are food cosmetics normal?! Buying organic can be considered a luxury for a lot of people, and many can't afford to do so. In that case, buying as local as possible is key. Any bit of effort is a step in the right direction.