We finally made it over to the Gilbert Farmer’s Market yesterday morning. It was a perfect day to check out the local food scene and chat with farmers and artisans.
We made a quick loop around to see who was there. We saw everything from organic produce and fresh eggs to handmade pasta and artisan salts. There were a few tables of gorgeous breads that I unfortunately had to steer clear of. Darn gluten!
My parents picked up a small cabbage, some grass-fed meats and some organic vegetables. Leila carried the cabbage bag around like a purse.
I brought home some pretty carrots, tomatoes and kale from a pesticide-free grower. Many of the smaller farms around here are not certified organic but are pesticide-free. That’s why it’s important to talk to your local farmers and get to know the local food scene, something I need to do better at!
One of my favorite finds was the salt from go lb. salt. The owners have quite a few family members with celiac disease, so they are careful to make sure all of their salts and seasonings are gluten-free. Their truffle salt was out-of-this-world amazing, feel free to get me some for my birthday. I came home with one of their sampler packs but will definitely be back for more.
I was also excited to find and talk with a local tomato and herb grower. I had been searching for organic non-GMO herbs to plant and was having a hard time finding some. These are from Hatching Bunnies farm and are beautiful. I got a Juliet tomato plant and three types of basil: lemon, lime, and lettuce leaf. All are from certified non-GMO seeds, and I had a nice chat with the grower about the stand that she and many other farmers are taking against Monsanto.
I can’t wait to use the basil leaves, when you rub the lemon and lime leaves, they smell like lemon and lime!
We spent the next few hours planting and hanging out in the backyard, enjoying the nice weather before the storm rolled in.
Do you visit a local farmer’s market? Do you talk to your local growers? Do you grow any of your own food or herbs?
I have been following your blog for awhile and I never knew you lived in AZ! I just moved to Scottsdale from San Diego and I’ll be taking the RD exam in a couple of weeks! I’ll definitely need to check out the Gilbert Farmers’ Market! I heard the Superstition Mesa Market is amazing too!
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ahhh she is so cute carrying that bag.
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