Farmer's Markets

I love my farmer's market.

Yes, that photo up above are my goodies from a recent trip to the farmer's market, including free-pastured Americana chicken eggs (whose eggs are green, blue or brown), free-pastured duck eggs, raw and unfiltered honey, farmstead cheese (made from the milk produced on that farm), buttermilk and cream, grass-fed Dexter beef, and all sorts of organic lettuces and fresh produce.

Looking for a farmer's market near you? Check out these resources to get connected to your locavore community:

• Local Harvest: A great springboard of information for restaurants that source locally, farmer's markets as well as CSAs offered by your local farm.
• Organic Consumer's Association: Looking for only organic? Check out the OCA's GreenPeople Directory link to find co-ops as well as local farms producing organic grain, meat, dairy and selling and utilizing non-GMO seeds.
• Eat Well Guide: Another great resource for people trying to find local sustainable and organic restaurants, farmer's markets and grocers in their area. This is also great if you are going to be on the road travelling and you want to know where to find SOLE food around you quickly.
• Edible Communities: This has become one of my favorite "insider" resources. Edible Communities highlights regions' local seasonal harvest. I live in the Chesapeake watershed, so my Edible Chesapeake magazine gives me great advertisements on professional restaurants, regionally sourced products as well as articles and recipes. You can buy a subscription or find this publication at your local farmer's market.

Live in the Tidewater area? Check out these markets:

• Five Points Farm Market: Located in Norfolk, this farmer's market is open 5 days a week and is housed in an old warehouse building. Many local farms drop off their produce or products at regular intervals during the week and 5 Points sells them. Saturday morning is when I go purchase my dairy, produce as well as dried legumes and meat.
• Old Beach Farmer's Market: Located in Virginia Beach, OBFM is an open air market only open 8-noon on Saturdays. Beyond the standard fare of veggies, there are vendors who sell fresh granola, bread, croissants, dressings and seafood.