We had BLTs and sweet corn for dinner last night. Matter of fact, we’ve been having tomatoes and sweet corn almost daily lately. Since opening Ferndale, I’ve made it a personal goal to go a little over-the-top when local produce is in season. It starts in late May when asparagus is fresh, continues in June with strawberries, and these days I’m hooked on heirloom tomatoes. I’m a believer that we should savor (or even go a little over-the-top) when the best produce is coming from our own backyard.
Of course, we are now into absolute peak produce season in Minnesota. At Ferndale Market, we’re excited to say we have everything from apples to zucchini. There was an era when people talked a lot about food miles, the surprising distance most food travels to our plate. This time of year, it’s a more compelling argument to frame it all around freshness and quality; peak season local produce simply tastes better.
Last week I was a guest on a podcast focused on food, farming, and rural life (shout out to Keepin’ it Rural), and the host closed the conversation by asking “What do you to do keep it rural?” I responded that I view our on-farm market as a way to create demand for fellow farmers, and give them a steady outlet for their goods. Many of our local produce partners are at a scale where the farmer’s market may be their only other revenue stream, but farmer’s markets are a lot of work, and can rob time from actual farming. It’s my sincere hope that we can support rural, both farmers and shoppers alike, by carrying local produce 7 days a week. If you’ve been in recently, you may have bumped into our new produce cooler, all a part of our effort to double-down on what’s local, fresh, and in-season.
Speaking of which, turkey is always in season and our flocks are keeping us awfully busy these late summer days so I’d better get back to it. I’ll hope to see you at the market soon. I’ll be the guy picking out my daily tomatoes and sweet corn!
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