Farmers Market

After my Sunday morning stop at Starbucks for tea, the next stop is the Arvada Olde Town Square for the farmers market.

The square has several water jets randomly spouting water providing excitement and wet entertainment for kids (and some adults).

The farmers market tents and booths are around the periphery of the square and the water fountain.

Farmers markets should be freshly grown edibles to take home to your kitchen. There are a few of those stands at every farmers market. However, they are out numbered by booths of fast food, goat cheese, popcorn, boutique winery, massages, flavored pastas, doggie treats, several bread/pastry bakeries, pillows and bedding, pottery, honey, salsa, etc.

The number of booths selling directly from the family vegetable/fruit farm is small. Very small. Sometimes a single booth selling locally grown produce.

At those same farmers market, there will be a booth selling branded produce (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) which can be found at your grocer. Prices are competitive. Have to wonder why you wouldn't buy the same stuff at your grocer chain store -- for the same price. Have to wonder why it is even sold at the farmers market.

My reason for going to farmers markets is to purchase grass fed beef. Snow Creek Ranch has booths at most every farmers market along Colorado's Front Range. With the ranch in southeastern Kansas, I find it novel that Front Range Colorado is where it is sold. At my next farmers market visit, I will have to get the rest of the story.

The Angus beef from the Snow Creek Ranch is expensive. Considering that bison in the grocery stores is $9 a pound, the $9.75 for the grass raised beef seems an okay price.

Always the skeptic, I have questioned the farmers market sellers about Snow Creek Ranch beef. Since they all read the same marketing literature, the story is always the same -- doesn't matter which farmers market I visit. So it becomes a matter of belief on my part.

Maybe I didn't buy the beef from the rancher, but the positive for me is that the product didn't come from one of the national food conglomerates distributing through a chain grocery store.