Farmer’s market, second haul

My haul from three farmer’s markets in Scottsbluff, Morrill, and Gering last week.

Not pictured: ground beef, enchiladas, okra, whole chokecherries (which I apparently don't know what to do with because I turned them into a horrid-tasting sludge. I will stick to buying other people's chokecherry products).

FANTASTIC peaches. More zucchini and corn. A whole chicken, which may have been one of the chicks featured on a vendor’s blog earlier this year.

Cantaloupe that you could smell from down the street. Wheat flour grown and ground here in western Nebraska (how cool is that?!). Divine strawberry-lemon marmalade from Wind Harvest Farms.

And get this . . . CURRY (?!??) homemade peanut butter! (Wha?? Yes, it’s *true*!) They also had garlic peanut butter, plus some more normal flavors like chocolate.

I ♥ the farmer’s market!

One odd thing I noticed, tho: a few of the vendors were smoking while waiting on customers. Doesn’t really seem to fit in with the “buying healthier, less-chemically food” vibe of most farmer’s markets I’ve been to. But . . . well . . . western Nebraska isn’t quite like most places I’ve been, either.

Also spotted dogs at all three markets.

Hot dogs at the Gering farmer's market

Dogs have been a touchy issue in some markets around the country. Having dogs running around where food is being sold can be a bit dicey. But again, a farmer’s market is almost more of a festival atmosphere.  I think if the dogs are leashed, well-behaved, picked up after and not smelly, and if there’s enough room at the market for people to maneuver around them without tripping, it’s OK.

Oh, and one more thing: I mentioned in my last farmer’s market post that the Scottsbluff market could use some buskers. I heard a musician last week who I think would make an excellent market busker, and who, incidentally, has a new album out that he’d like to sell: Tim Ostdiek.

I caught his concert at the Midwest Theater last week, and his style of music would fit in well with the market crowd, methinks.

How about it, Tim?