local production
It's no Santa Monica market, but we do have our own little farmers market around here that I've been attending faithfully each week. It's a different feel: the much smaller number of vendors is balanced by the more human scale, and the better music. We know people around here too, so every time we go we end up chatting with someone or other. The problem with market farming in New England, however, is that most of the farmers can grow at their farms no more than we can grow in our own garden. When the market is at its peak, then, we are not particularly looking for squashes, cucumbers, or lettuces. No thanks, we're good. On the other hand, the farmers have more room for delicious fruits than we do, and we much appreciate those. And of course they can extend their season a few weeks or months on either side of ours, so we'll happily buy their wares then.
The Globe is very in to the farmers market phenomenon, publishing a couple stories a week about the various markets around the Boston area. Local food is not only tasty, it's trendy too!