Buy Fresh, Buy Local Food Guide

The market where Tom and I sell is located in Stillwater and  is run by the Payne County Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of which we are members.  One of the rules of our market is that only produce grown in Payne or one of the surrounding counties can be sold there.   So, you won't find spinach from California or cantaloupe from Texas at our market.   You will only find produce that is "in season" in this area for sale at our market.  For example, you won't find corn in April or strawberries in August.

Customers who are new to the market sometimes find this frustrating.  But, after we explain that they can always be assured of the freshest produce that has not traveled hundreds (or thousands) of miles to get here, then they come to appreciate how unique our market is in this regard.  

A national movement called "Buy Fresh Buy Local" has been ongoing for the last few years, and a chapter was recently organized in Payne County.  The chapter has produced a 12 page food guide that lists the farmers markets in this area along with the farmers who participate in these markets.  It has different sections for vegetables, herbs, eggs, meat, etc.  So, you can easily find a local producer for just about anything you want to buy.

You can find a link to this food guide on the following web site: 

http://www.oksustainability.org/sstw/ 

Click on "Payne County Region - Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Guide".  This may take a few minutes to download, but then you can print it off or save it to your computer so you can refer to it often.