Visiting the farmers market for me is a day out, and I find it relaxing to wander through he rows of freshly picked produce. At one time I would have felt the same warm feeling from wandering through a shoe shop, how things have changed. There are several different farmers markets here, some are designed for the tourists, where the farmers sell neatly bagged "Canarian" produce. However, I prefer the traditional farmers markets with the odd shaped veg, and the items that you have no idea what it is.
The market can be slightly intimidating at first, however, once you learn to go with the flow, and enjoy the experience it can be fun. There are always fruits and vegetables for sale that I have no idea what they are, or how to cook/eat them, but that is part of the fun.Farmers who have to produce crops for a living have a hard life, and make the rest of us seem like we are playing at the farm life.
The people that are selling their gods are fun, and full of stories of how they got their prize carrots and peppers to look so big and wholesome. There is very little profit in the produce that they sell, however, they keep returning week after week. The fruits and vegetables are seasonal, therefore, you are never sure what you may get next week. But, this is all part of the charm of the market.
The world we live in today takes an awful lot for granted, people who buy from supermarkets expect their fruits to be the perfect shape, and exotic fruits to be available all year. The knowledge that natural fruits and vegetables are seasonal seems to pass them by, and the prices are always up for debate! Next time you are in the supermarket, spare a thought for the farmers who have to rely on so many different factors to guarantee a bumper crop for very little profit.
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