In Praise of Farmers Markets

I probably don’t have to tell you what a delightful asset a farmers market can be for a city; I’m sure you’ve already been to one. Maybe even this weekend. At first glance, farmers markets may look like cosmopolitan elitism disguised as a rustic pursuit—the wealthy condo-dweller traipsing down her street to buy fresh cut flowers and blueberries so she can feel distantly connected to rural America (the real America, as Jack Donaghy puts it)—but I think that at the heart of the farmers market we’ll find good intentions and wholesome food.

The cities that do it right have markets in every neighborhood. Maybe there’s a central plaza downtown where the big dogs set up shop, but there are also smaller gatherings of stands in parking lots throughout the city. A good farmers market has fresh produce, food products like honey and eggs, and prepared foods such as baked treats. Musical acts or cooking demos are a plus too.