A Saturday morning visit to the Avalon Foundation’s Farmers’ Market on North Harrison Street in Easton is a great delight. And, for this longtime resident, the fresh fruit, vegetables and produce are secondary to the community feeling permeating the outdoor market.
Conversation among friends and acquaintances is the commodity I most savor. It’s a superb community gathering place. That provides sustenance and satisfaction for the soul.
No aisles bordered by high shelves and voluminous choices. No traffic jam created by shopping carts pushed by impatient shoppers. No sophisticated marketing.
I’m not suggesting that my viewpoint reflects the attitudes of other, far more serious and intentional buyers than I. My desire for conversation may very well prove distracting to those who yearn for the local food, with visions of sumptuous meals filled with purchases made at the Easton Farmers’ Market. I simply follow my wife around holding the bag (or bags), so to speak.
I’ve also noticed that dogs and people mingle easily. Just the past Saturday, I brought Sandy, a Labrador Retriever that we’ve owned for nearly three months, with us for our buying expedition. She draws immediate attention, mainly because she is just so darn lovable.
Chatter is always easy and comfortable when Sandy is by my side. She loves the attention. Her presence is an immediate conversation-starter.
I experienced my first farmers’ market in the early 1990s when my oldest daughter was attending the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. I was amazed by the expanse of e Missoula’s farmers market. I’ve since sampled farmers’ markets in Eugene, OR, Annapolis, MD and Rehoboth, DE. While each differs somewhat from the other, reflecting the culture and culinary tastes of the region, the constant link is the willingness on the part of shoppers to buy and talk in an unrushed manner.
Pundits (not me, but the truly professional ones) often talk about the political, economic and social polarization of our country. I suspect that’s true, if only by the repetition of this observation. Based on my scant research, farmers’ markets bridge the divide.
The Easton Farmers’ Market, drawing vendors from Millington, Hurlock, Stevensville, Centreville, Easton, Bivalve, Chestertown and Preston, is a magnet for people seeking local food and good conversation. The atmosphere is friendly, down-to-earth and relaxingly commercial. Open-air markets often are friendlier than a sanitized super market.
One other thing about the Easton Farmers’ Market interest me. As I drive the Talbot County roads in July, I am always fascinated by the growing corn and soybean crops. I enjoy the fact we live in an agricultural area where farmers flourish or suffer based on the productivity of their corn, soybeans and wheat and the dramatic effect of sufficient rain—and economic conditions in our country and parts of the world.
The Easton Farmers’ Market reflects our farming community. This is not a farmers’ market located at DuPont Circle in urbanized Washington, DC.
Farmers’ markets are not new. They preceded small and large grocery stores. It seems that in recent years that farmers’ markets have become more popular, as consumers seek fresher, healthier and seasonal foods. The producer and the buyer actually get to meet and know each other. Also, the money stays in the community longer than money that goes to larger corporations.
I started off by disclosing that my enjoyment of the Easton Farmers’ Market is related more to the evident community feeling that underlies this open-air food market than it is to the fresh food abundantly available at the numerous stalls. The concept seems simple.
Local producers of fruits, vegetables and produce come to one spot, set up a stall, display their goods and offer friendly transactions. The mood is relaxed and conversational (at least for those of us interested more in talking than buying).
I don’t mind holding the bag. It’s worth it.
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