I grew up on a ranch where Saturday mornings were for chores and feeding the cattle. After 5 years of college, I still don’t know what to do with my Saturdays. My last trip to the Nashville Farmers Market was when my siblings came to visit on Spring Break. There wasn’t much in season then, so food available was mostly canned or early spring plants.

Today I decided to head back for a trip. I needed to go grocery shopping anyway. So I got up and went first thing this morning. Nashville obviously isn’t a town of early risers. 9 A.M. and the place was still fairly empty.

WTF? – Where’s the food, without the farmer?

There were a host of great farmers from the region. Lots of early summer vegetable available. I picked up some squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I also picked up some peaches. Gotta have something sweet once in a while! I’ll be eating extra fresh and local this week!

There was only one farmer there with meat products – beef, pork and chicken. We talked for a moment and gave me a flyer. His beef is grass-fed, grass-finished, dry-aged, certified natural. Pork advertised as pastured. Chicken true free-range and french label rouge style. You can see more about his products at the Walnut Hills Farm website.

Food Safety is always important

It’s great to have fresh foods from local farmers, organic, natural, or conventional. No matter the source of your food, its important to consider food safety.

Keep your produce safe with these tips:

  • Before and after preparing fresh produce, wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking. We don’t recommend washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes.
  • Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first. Any bacteria present on the outside of items like melons can be transferred to the inside when you cut or peel them.
  • Be sure to refrigerate cut or peeled fruits and vegetables within two hours after preparation.
Tips for food safety of juices, dairy, egg, and meat products are available from FoodSafety.gov. Pathogens like E.coli aren’t prejudice and can show up on any food if not handled and prepared properly.

—–

After picking up my veggies and talking to the meat farmer, I headed inside the market area for an awesome breakfast wrap from one of the local vendors – 2 eggs, ham, red onions, bell pepper, tomato, and tobasco sauce. Mmm… the world was right again!

Do you have a favorite local farmers market? What do you pick up there and how often do you visit?

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.