Farmers Market

With very few exceptions, we go to the farmers market every Saturday. We started taking our son to the market when he was two weeks old!

The market is full of sensory stimulation for a baby. Today he tasted three types of Asian pears, a persimmon, locally made soy milk, and nectarine jam. He got to listen to a couple buskers. He smelled the kettlecorn popping. He grabbed a lime at the avocado vendors and--ahem--explored it with his mouth. Plus all of the colors--red dahlias and shiny bell peppers, bright orange persimmons, yellow squash, green kale and baby spinach, and purple carrots. When he was really little, I tickled his feet with the rubbery soft fresh carrot tops and he squealed with delight. Now that he is older, I give him whatever samples are available so that he can try as many tastes as possible.

Over the years we have gotten to know the vendors. We don't know each others names, but we are friendly and chat. This is a community that cares about local and seasonal food, and I love that our son has been exposed to it since he was a newborn.