Going Green

Towards the end of April my great friend Kat and I attempted a trip to the Onslow County Farmers Market, the closest one around here. We wanted to find fresh produce that has been grown without pesticides and that has not wasted fuel and energy coming to us from all over the world. As the market is only open Tuesdays and Saturdays April through October, we got up early on a Tuesday morning to see if we could beat everyone else to the fine selection. We found it easily around 9am and besides the vendors selling plants, some broccoli, and little else, we were the only ones there. We briefly surveyed the situation and left discouraged. I have done much complaining that in California it was so easy to find good food and that there is nothing here. I could just take a seven minute trek to the market down the street, open every day, and grab delicious looking vegetables, homemade granola, and tons of other organic goodies. We have not been back to the Onslow Farmers Market. We have however gotten our hopes back up and have been scouring the area for fresh, local produce. It's just not as obvious here as it was in California. There, the farmers were successful and their produce was greatly desired in high demand. And of course, in the San Diego area, the climate is perfect for growing great crops year round.

I'm still trying to learn about growing food in my own garden and have so far only had successful herbs and peppers. So, Kat and I searched the eastern part of our area the other day and found green peppers, corn, cherries, blackberries, and sprite. Not the soda, the melon. Which I found out I am not allergic to and ate with great delight. The following day another friend of mine came blueberry picking with me, a summer tradition I picked up in Florida with my dear friend Peggy Ann who could pick bucket loads all season long. We also found seedless watermelon at $4 a piece and trekked to a small Mennonite grocery store for some fresh baked goods. The more I look and the more people I talk to, the more great food I find! Hopefully, I am getting us another step closer to being healthy and helping the planet.