*photo courtesy of Oregon-Live

Farmers Market.


Do you go? When was the last time you went? To tell the truth, I don't buy my veggies at the super market. Why? They have been there for a while for starters, and if you read any labels, most of the produce doesn't come from around here...... Did you get that last bit?? Not from around here..... Here in the Portland/Vancouver metro area we are a lucky bunch. We have lots of Farmers Markets. There is a large one in downtown Vancouver, and in downtown Portland. Then a few years ago, Kaiser started with the Wednesday Farmers Market in North Portland. {like I said a lucky bunch} I strolled the isles of a *will remain nameless large market* here in Vancouver recently, and more than half of the produce came from Mexico. MEXICO. {there is nothing wrong with Mexico, just don't want to eat your strawberries when I live in a place that can grow them...} Then a large quantity of produce comes from California. Again, love the place...... Anyhow, with that said I am no dummy and know that I will have to eat some produce from outside of my state. Avocados=California, Oranges=Florida. Got it. I know that not everything that I eat can be grown here. However the things I can grow but don't shouldn't be an arm and a leg either. Then they import because its cheaper to grow somewhere else. Don't you think it should be the other way around??? I think we as a nation of eaters are missing the point. You need to eat things in season to get the best bang for your nutritional buck, and hot house tomatoes don't fit the bill. What is my point? Pay attention to labels, what are you putting in your body? Quality or quantity? Cheap or good for you? I know I can get cheaper strawberries at a *certain  store that shall be nameless* however, were they drowned in pesticides to get to this point? Are they grown in a hot house? Is it worth it? Nutritionally?? That is what I am getting on my soapbox about. At the end of the day, your feeding these to your babies, and I want mine to eat the very best.


Thank you for reading.
Em
xoxox