Have you ever had an opportunity to stay on a farm? Do you still remember the crickets in the summer time, the smell of the earth, and newly picked cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons,...... in the field?
Maybe or maybe not. The urban lifestyle we have more or less adopted have made us very distant from the earth and our food.
However, I have grown up in my grandparents’ village for the earliest 5 years of my life and would go back to that village twice a year before I settled in Pittsburgh. So deep in my memory and spirits, I long for the closeness of the farm. You see the daily toiling, nurturing, and humbling experience of farmers at the mercy of the nature, yet a good year of harvest can make it all worthwhile. I am not saying the self-reliant economic model is all good, definitely not efficient. But we also have a saying “ Haste is a waste”, do we? Also since traditional agriculture has been around for thousands of years before machines and mass production took over only couple decades ago, maybe it’s not that bad either.
The other day, I took a lunch break at work and wandered around and about with $5 in my pocket. At Wendy’s, I was astounded when the person at the register handed me a box of Chili, a Crispy chicken sandwich and a cup of black team along with 95 cents change. More surprisingly was that that lunch was so delicious that I absolutely enjoyed every bite! Is the fact that those fast food offerings are too delicious to be real at such a low price a problem?
Anyway, before I digress furthermore, my point is that when I encounter Farmer’s Market in two locations in Oakland, I felt such a thrill. Although the organic goodies are slightly more expansive than those in supermarkets, I still had $10 dollars to buy one tomato, zucchini, onion, apple, and two donuts. The people who owns those stances were very genuine people too. They didn’t judge me by how much money I spent, rather how much I appreciated the good food they provided.
Beer winning trivia @ Farmer’s Market
1. There are many farmer’s markets in Pittsburgh other than the two mentioned in this post. HERE is a list of those markets compiled by Albrecht Powell, a lifelong Pittsburgh resident. He and his wife have lived in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including Monroeville, Shadyside, Duquesne Heights, Greentree and North Fayette. They have been the About.com Guides to Pittsburgh since 2000.
Your ID @ Farmer’s Market
1. What are the names of the produces held by the lady and gentleman in the above pictures?
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