Many people also sell baked goods, crafts, fresh farm cheeses, and desserts. Our favorite restaurants use foods from local farms, and we found their booths at the farmer's market. Jesse stocks up on ostrich meat and I stalk the people who make fresh goat cheese. However, you can't top puppies!
There's also a small fairgrounds at our favorite market and they have little festivals every saturday. On strawberry day, they served strawberry- topped waffles. On the day pictured here, there was a chili cookoff. We paid $3 to sample all the chili and vote for our favorite. The tent behind us got my vote because he topped mine with a whole jalepeno. Most of the chili- makers were grandpa- types who are doing this semi- pro, and they had come from all over the east coast. These guys were hillarious and had funny signs boasting about how hot their chili is. They could live out of these little tents, each one is so personalized.
There was also an alt- rock band, and a kettle- corn stand. I love kettle corn now. That metal thing beyond the table is the kettle. I could fit inside there, and, someday, I'm going to.
It's funny that buying big items like a car or a house doesn't make me feel rich or fulfilled at all, but going to the farmer's market does. For a dollar, a lady will stuff a bag full of dense, fragrant, bitter greens, and she keeps stuffing until you ask her to stop. When I pack the car full of fresh June tomatoes, crisp pickling cucumbers, sweet corn, peaches, and fresh Amish bread, it's hard for me to figure out how I became so fortunate. I feel like my car is overflowing with goodness and I'm rich! Like I have everything I could ever want.
Today at the market, it was dairy day, and there was a homemade ice cream contest for kids. They were running around with their ice and rock salt. There was a small calf there, too, for everyone to pet. He looked very soft.
