Saturday, August 2, 2014

BOTBFM 2014 is the Best Year Ever!

Wow. That is a perfect explanation of how today's edition of Bounty of the Barrens Farmers' Market went. In fact, that is a great explanation of how the market has gone this whole year! 

The weather has been kind. The barrens region's soil has responded to the love given it by our farmers by producing an amazingly luscious wealth of tasty food. And the people of our region are responding by making sure that the farmers are paid for their work by coming to the market and purchasing real food.

For all of the many Sustainable Glasgow folks involved in administering the market and promoting the idea of growing our local economy by reinforcing our local food economy, it is hard for us to wipe the grin off of our faces. In 2014, the dream that we had in 2009 seems to finally be coming true. The people of Glasgow, and the barrens region, are getting it when it comes to the health and happiness benefits that come from buying real food from their neighbors.

At the market we see vendors cutting melons, that were still on the vine earlier in the morning, and conducting fun loving taste tests with the market patrons. We see the same thing happening with sweet corn, and peaches, and herbs, and cheeses, and sausages. We see hugs and smiles, and we hear real conversations that extend far beyond the customary, "how are you doing?" We see children of vendors playing with each other and growing up before our eyes, even as they learn to interact with adults, watch the stand while a parent is helping a patron load fresh food into their cars, and become the kind of young people that will know things that their contemporaries at home playing video games, will never know.
Thanks to each and every one of you that is a part of this movement. We are in love with our community, our land, and the happy life that can be found in the micro-nutrients trapped in the soil of the barrens, and we love you. 

Visit the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market website for more information.