The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge Road is starting to come alive again. Farmers are out with plants, trees, and some food items. With the Easter egg hunt behind them, the next big event is the Herb Festival on Saturday, April 20th from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm. Greenshouse Vegetable Day will be on Friday, April 26th from 1:00 am-1:00 pm. That event is sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and comes with a free tomato sandwich. The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market is one of five that is overseen by the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture. Steve Troxler is Commissioner of Agriculture. The mission statement for the organization is: (t)o provide services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians (reference).
We heard a food segment on NPR the other day and they said that the closer children are to fresh fruits and vegetables (like tomatoes), the more likely they are to eat them; with the "closest" being to actually grow the food and to eat what is harvested. Parents were overheard teaching their young children this past Sunday, allowing them to have some choice in the plants purchased and another family allowing children to pick produce. The farmers market is such an educational place to spend an afternoon. Remember to consider planting as many edibles as possible. We already purchased our chard so that we can continue our tradition of chard in the yard and so fun to eat from the flower bed. Try it, Greensboro!
Reminds me of a story about my granddaughter when she was little. Her mother told her to get dressed so they could go to the market. Her reply: "To buy a fat pig?
Posted by: Jane Mitchell | Tuesday, April 09, 2013 at 12:08 PM