Farmer's Market, Earlier this Time

I mentioned yesterday to my parents, over my dad's homemade fishcakes, that I was thinking of going to the Farmer's Market again this week. Surprisingly, they told me they had never gone before! I guess it's like one of those things, like people who live in Toronto but have never gone up the CN Tower - somehow, in all the years they've been here, they'd never gone!



We went an hour earlier this time, and got there around 8:45 am. It was a little less crowded! This time, because we could take it just a bit more slowly, I was able to get the names of some of the places we bought food from, which is nice! If I enjoy stuff, I want to share it with you all! :)

I got some lovely looking unpasteurized honey from C & L Farms Ent. who came to the market from Collingwood, NS. It's called Pure Wildflower Honey - doesn't that just conjure up images of vast fields of wildflowers in the wilderness of Nova Scotia, little bees buzzing everywhere? :) And the honey tastes really good too! I heard once that if you have bad seasonal allergies, at the beginning of the season you should buy honeycomb from a local beehive and eat it. It will be made from all the local blooming flowers and contain the pollen which makes you sneeze and such, but the way it's introduced to the body makes it so your symptoms are lessened when you come in contact with it in the air. I've heard some people swear by it!

I picked up a staple of many Canadian kitchens, pure Maple Syrup, from the folks at Frosty Maple Products, in Southampton, NS. If you've never had the real thing on pancakes or waffles, you owe it to yourself to give it a try!

One place I really wanted to support was Getaway Farm (from Canning, NS), who after being in organic transition, have just been certified organic! Congratulations! Organic transition, from what I understand, is one of the toughest places for a farm to be in - they have all the costs of being organic, but without the full certification, so they can't charge organic prices. A tough spot! But fortunately, they've come through it, and I was very happy to pick up some lovely bacon - which I immediately ate when I got home! :) Yummy! (No, I didn't eat ALL of it...yet) :) I felt good knowing that the animal I was partaking of had led a much happier, longer life, too (learn more here).



And after reading stellar reviews on the Farmer's Market website, I just had to try the Scottish Highland cattle raised on hay and grass from Highview Farm, from Wolfville, NS. I got some lovely lean ground beef from them, and I look forward to making hamburgers in the next couple of days and seeing what a difference grass-fed makes! (Want to know why grass-fed beef is better for you, and better for the cows, too? Read here.)

My parents bought some fruits and vegetables, and were amazed by the wide variety of food and products available. They had a good time, which I was glad for. Once again, the Halifax Farmer's Market was a goldmine for fresh tasting, healthy, locally grown food and locally made products.

Support your local farmers! It's good for the environment, and yourself!

Read about my previous trip here.