Best Time of Year at Farmers Market

Got all this for just $13 at the downtown New Bedford farmers market. This time of year, they're practically giving away things like salad greens & eggplants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a great online tool to find a farmers market near you:

Harris Teeters Toward Local Foods

The Harris Teeter in Ballston has recently started highlighting "Fresh off the Farm" fruits & vegetables. Each item is identified with its local farm and the prices are no higher than usual:

So far, so good. But I noticed the blueberries also got a "from your regional neighbor" tag, which is supposed to be for produce shipped six hours or less. They're from "California Giant Berry Farms," which, call me cynical, but sounds suspiciously non-local. On top of that, the blueberries are marked "Product of Canada," so who knows how many passport stamps they've earned:

So while on the whole this is progress, as always, shop smart ... shop S-Mart.

A Harry Caray Moment in the Dairy Aisle

HEY! Why do the free-range eggs cost more than the cage-free eggs at the grocery store? If you were a chicken, wouldn't you rather be free-range? I know I would.

Actually, both "cage-free" & "free-range" seem to be a bit meaningless. The term "free farmed" seems to have some real standards. 

But as is so often the case, if you're really concerned about how the chicken was treated before it begat the egg, you're best off going to your local farmers market, where they'll be happy to chat your ear off about the chickens & how there's been too much rain this spring & here, try a piece of our cheese, it's the best & if you're ever up in Buckeystown you should stop by!

From Washington, VA to Washington, DC: Tracking Local Food

Check out this CNN story tracking food from an organic farm in Washington, VA to a farmers market in Washington, DC! To find a farmers market near you, visit WashingtonPost.com's interactive farmers market map.