Our New Farmers' Market

Our neighborhood has a new farmer's market! On Tuesdays and Fridays from 2pm - dusk over half a dozen farmers set up shop at the Kerry Forest - Shannon Lakes roundabout (in the grassy area between the shopping plaza parking and the street). I stopped by on Friday to check things out and do some shopping. I was happy to find that all the ones I talked to grew their own stock (this is not always the case at some of the other markets I've been to in town).

I bought some spinach, 2 ruby red grapefruits picked today (who knew you could grow grapefruit in Tallahassee?), a red bell pepper, and two little baked goods (a sour cream pound cake and sweet potato bread, pictured below):

We used it all (except the baked goods) to make salads for dinner. 

I also met a woman who raises goats and lambs on her farm in Monticello. I look forward to being her customer! The goats she raises for meat are a commercial mixed breed (Mom will know that I had to ask). She said the mixed breed don't have be de-wormed as they are less susceptible. Here's a link to her farm: Golden Acres Ranch and to the shop that processes meat for her. She said she brings some pork and sausage from them to the market: Johnston's Meat Market [Ever since I read Fast Food Nation, I've had a fear of giant meat processing plants - it's wonderful to find a local small-scale production facility!]

Also available - jams, jellies and honeys. The farm that grows grapefruit also grows other semi-tropical fruits like papaya. I'm looking forward to trying some of the interesting greens grown by my spinach farmer - he had three different kinds of mustard greens alone!