The Farmer's Market is something I've always loved going to. I remember when I was a child my parents would go and we picked out fresh beans, okra, spinach, tomatoes, onions. I can still smell the sweet smell of the fresh fruits and veggies and remember being super excited about that night's meal when we would cook and enjoy our purchases. The people selling the goods were so interesting and friendly. I could go on and on about how great it was. Plus, in Inverness there were an abundance of little fruit stands, orange groves, and strawberry fields so fresh foods were not something you had to look too hard to locate.
A couple years ago I discovered the downtown Gainesville farmer's market and LOVED going. They sold delicious lemonade to drink while you shopped, home made pastries, huge bunches of beautiful flowers, and of course fruits and veggies. I even bought some raw milk one time, and I say one time because I hate milk and Phil wasn't a huge enough fan to justify the extreme cost. The major, and I mean major, downside for me shopping at the market was the people. The folks selling the items weren't tremendously friendly and the people that shopped there were very, um, green. Like don't bathe kind of green. Like hairy armpits kind of green. TOTALLY not me. And honestly the tight quarters and the nasty people discouraged me from shopping there so I stopped going.
The market ended up getting so large they moved it to the area next to the courthouse. Around the same time organic became all the rage, so the goods you were buying at the farmer's market was about twice the amount you would pay at the store. Making the location even better was the fact you had to shop with the town's homeless population, so really there was no draw for me anymore even with the new "open air" feel. Anyway you looked at it you were shopping with people that hadn't showered in, what, weeks? And let me just take a moment to say, if you are au naturale about your hygeine then good for you. I'm probably not your friend, but if you stumbled upon my little corner of life here I just have to say one thing. If you don't bathe because you somehow think you are cleaner without the chemicals in soaps or the harsh chlorine treated water--you are WRONG. You smell bad and perhaps should consider living in a state that isn't sweltering hot and humid approximately 10 months of the year.
Here's my point. I went to the downtown market yesterday in search of fresh veggies and fruit. I left with some tomatoes and a small bag of new potatoes. Drank some delicious lemonade. And purchased $10 worth of orange juice and grapefruit juice. Why would I pay that for something I could get at the store? Easy, it's fresh squeezed and delicious. I got used to drinking the oj from Ferris Groves in Inverness so when I am out I go through withdrawls and thought that while my $5 one liter of oj was worth it I would rather drive an hour and a half back home to buy some fresh from the groves. Like $6 per gallon at Ferris. Even the juice that I was ready to invest in for the entire week fell short of my expectations. Sigh. Though I have to admit, the oj isn't bad. It's not $5 good, but not bad. The grapefruit juice was definitely not worth the money. BUT the wild watermelon, blackberry, gourmet lalala whatever blend at $7.50 per liter is something I would totally go back for. It was divine and I wish I had bought a bottle. Somewhere between the juices and my handing over the money my brain kicked in and told me to slow my roll. No need to buy the orange grove this week.
I'm going to try to make it to one of the other local markets this weekend to see if maybe I could find one that fits me a little better because I hate to think there isn't one around I could shop at and Waldo is a little far to drive for some produce. Though the fact the people at the Waldo market probably had a shower, likely won't have their pit bull mere inches from my daughter, and hopefully have vaccinated their children automatically ranks that market above downtown Gainesville. Ugh.
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