Mmmm, those nectarines sound fabulous!

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i like the beaverton & hillsboro farmers markets, and for 20 dollars i can get a weeks worth of produce. (i didn't go this week cause of the air show) but usually enough for hubby and me to eat, with some meat and carbs from the store and a little supliment from our backyard garden, we are good.

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The acai is also called the Chinese Wolfberry. It dries down and looks much like a red-orange colored raisin, and is much sweeter and fruitier than the juice, which tastes musty and bitter. The Chinese say that if you eat a small handfull of wolfberries daily, you will always have a smile on your face, which seems to be pretty much true. You can get a pound of wolfberries for about five dollars at the Chinese grocery or herb shop, and if you eat a half ounce a day, they will last a month, whereas a quart bottle of the juice will only last two weeks and costs eighteen dollars at the local health food store, and once again, tastes like what you squeeze out of your old wet sneakers.

Spamming the group is bad Karma.

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I had this challenge at my local farmer's market on Sunday. I got the following for $20:

1 large cantaloupe (cut it up last night and it was awesome)
1 bell pepper
2 ears of corn (grilled last night with this recipe http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/grilled-corn/74194 and it was delicious)
1 quart of Roma tomatoes
1 Loaf of Sourdough Bread
1 doz Organic Eggs

Great haul and many great meals to come.

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20+ Kumamoto oysters! Yum!

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Farmers' markets are fabulous. Would also like to add a plug for CSA farms (community supported agriculture) if you can find one in your area. We pay $320 in advance for an 18-week period so the farmers can buy seed and plan the crops. (Both summer and winter veggie seasons are available here with lots of root crops and lacto-fermented veggies during the winter.) So for $17 this week we got: 2 yellow crookneck squash, one zucchini (about 1-1/2 lb.), 5 oz. basil, 1 large romaine lettuce, 5 ears corn, 1 cucumber, 2 green peppers and 2 jalapeno peppers, 1 bunch scallions and 1/2 lb green beans. And this is still pretty much the beginning or harvest season here in the Rockies. In the coming weeks it can take several tote bags to haul all the goodies in -- depending of course on the weather. That's part of what supporting community agriculture is about -- sharing both the bounty and the scarcity just like the farmers do.

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Well, I only spent $10 this weekend, and I got:
Two pounds of mixed potatoes (purple, red, white)
3 white plums
One bunch of chubby carrots (soooo sweet!
3 HUGE red onions (I can't remember the name, but they're oblong)

The veggies roasted up nicely, and went alongside the evening's roast beef...mmm! I hope to find some lobster mushroom recipes to try out next week, but they seem to be in short supply...

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A bountiful harvest, indeed.

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Here in the Philly area, I love Produce Junction.

It's not really a farmer's market. But for cheap produce, nothing beats it. I could probably buy at least twice as much as Marisa did for the same price. The quality is usually slightly sub-standard. (IE: unripe bananas). But a very good deal.

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Here is what I got at a Lancaster local farmers market.

3 sweet onions
3 cukes
3 yellow squash
2 large zucchini
6 white peaches
3 lemons
1 red bell pepper
3 large tomatoes
quart of blackberries
3 large potatoes
quart of strawberries

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Last weekend, I got those from West Allis Farmer's Market in Wisconsin;

3 medium tomatoes ($2)
a bunch of green onions ($1)
4 medium zucchinis ($1)
8 large hot banana peppers ($1)
3 medium green bell peppers ($1)
a bag of lettuce ($1)
4 medium bitter squash ($1)
3 medium oblong eggplant ($2)

This is about the amount that fits my bike basket, fridge, and stomach (for a week).

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What $20 buys us here in Houston depends entirely on the farmer's market. The farmer's market behind Canino's bought me a few weeks ago:

A crate of mangos
6 gigantic red bell peppers
A large bag of carrots (several pounds)
A bag of tomatillos
A huuuge jicama
A bag of tomatos
Two large bundles of celery
A canteloupe

Quite a nice haul for $20 :D

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At the Norman, OK, just south of Oklahoma City, farmers' market, $20 gets you FIVE harvest-ready pepper plants: jalapeno, habanero, black pearl pepper, serrano and bell pepper. I'm going to put them in larger pots and try to over-winter them so I can have fresh peppers all year long!

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Is there a site which lists nearby farmer's markets by area, a la google maps or something? I'd like to give this a shot but I have no clue where and when the nearest farmer's market is.

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When I lived in Madison, I had the great fortune of not only a weekend Farmer's Market, but also local farms that allowed people to become members of there farms. You either a payed a yearly fee (and someone would deliver a bag of veggies & fruit to you, weekly), or you worked a few hours a week & part of what you picked, you kept. I'm in Southern Indiana now, & am wondering if anyone knows of any such deals around the area?

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Wow...reading what all everyone else got for $20, I'm starting to feel a little like I got the short end of the stick! I thought I'd done pretty good! Perhaps it's because I live in Seattle, but we'll see...I'll try a different market next Saturday, and see what $20 can get me!

jsmylie, your area may have a farmer's market association that can tell you when and where your area markets are! Good luck!

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jsmylie, I just Googled "Houston Farmer's Markets" to find mine. If a city search doesn't pan out you might try searching by state. Even if they're not "listed" someone may have blogged about one in your area.

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Metta, try Googling "Community-Supported Agriculture" or CSA plus your location. If there's a program near you, it should turn up something. I've never tried it but am thinking about signing up for the next growing season (I'm in central NC) - it's a fantastic way to support local farmers and get some tasty produce!

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This web site should help you find a farmers market in your area!

http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

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This is great! Never could do this at a grocer!Everyone should support their local farmers market year round, if you have one!

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