Buy Local, the blessed days of Summer

One of the best parts of Summer for me is the local produce. Here in Burnaby we have a Farmer's Market every Saturday from May through September. Burnaby was one of the last cities in the Lower Mainland to get their own market but this year they made it work. It is our luck that we just moved here this year. The first weekend seemed a bit sparse, but last week I returned and I'm really glad I did. The produce there was local and beautiful. While only some was Certified Organic (we eat as much organic as possible) most was pesticide free and way nicer than anything trucked in from somewhere else. Raspberries are in season right now. My favorite berry by far. This week I also picked up a few cherries. The other wonderful part of buying local is you are reaching the farmers directly. There is a connection there, I feel that growing up on a farm gave me a connection to my food that many city people do not have. I think of where things have come from when I buy them in a store. Sadly many people who have never seen a cow in person, can't really connect to where this milk in the carton is from. So when you ask: "Where does milk come from?" They say: "The store!" Not quite. So despite the fact that I live in the city and I'm raising a family here, I want my kids to feel the "roots" of their food. My son will benefit from visiting his Grandparents on the farm, but he will also frequent the Farmer's Market with me, visit Pick your Own farms, and really understand that when he buys it, or puts it in his mouth, someone grew this food from our sacred earth.