Let’s play a variation on Where’s Waldo.

It’s a Saturday morning in July.  7:00 am.  Where am I?

Most likely you’ll find me wandering the aisles of the St. Paul Farmers Market with my college friend Lori and my walking partner neighbor Laurie.  They’re the ones who actually suggested I blog about the market, and here’s why.

The sights and smells of the fresh-picked produce are a sensory experience that can’t be beat.  Many of the berries are picked fresh that morning.  The colors of all the variety are overwhelming.  My walking partner Laurie decides to give the brussel sprouts a try as she’s heard the fresh ones taste so much better than the frozen version she’s tried before.  I buy the perfect-sized cucumbers to make my favorite refrigerator pickles.  My college friend Lori grabs a deal – cauliflower for $1 a head.  I even sneak in a bundle of flowers from my favorite vendor to freshen up my house.

My trips to the market make the point that food is about more than just nutrition.  It plays an integral role in our family and social structures, it helps manage and treat diseases (both positively and negatively) and it is experiential.  And it can be all of these together.  For me, this is the draw, the appeal of the Farmers’ Market at its high season – the colors, the smells, the textures, the chatting with the local producers. 

Visit http://www.nuval.com/ to see the nutritional value of your favorite farmers’ market finds.