Last Wallingford Market of the Season

It’s been a weird, dry, smoky summer, but like all weird, dry, smoky things, it has come to end. Autumn officially began this past Friday, and this coming Wednesday marks the last 2017 installment of the Wallingford Farmers Market at Meridian Park.

There is some pretty significant upheaval in the food world, both globally and locally: hitting closer and closer to home, climate change helped wipe out 80% of the crops in Puerto Rico in a few hours, hunger to follow. Amazon bought Whole Foods, and shortly thereafter slashed prices in an attempt to undo WF’s “Whole Paycheck” reputation. PCC Natural Markets has rebranded and is now PCC Community Markets. Also, I’m out of peanut butter.

With all that going on, it’s easy to forget what a treasure we have: actual farmers and owner-operated bakeries, vintners, popsicle-makers and whatever you call people who brew kombucha load up their freshly picked, baked, fermented and frozen foods, carry them to an idyllic little park walking distance from your home and wait for you to come pick things up. And, if you’ve got kids, there’s a playground and a field they can play on while you decide which of the vintages you prefer.

Load on top of that the fact that it’s one of the few (only?) opportunities for regular, casual interaction with your neighbors at neighborhood-wide level, and it’s all a pretty amazing thing…

That is coming to end for the 2017 season tomorrow. So go, get yourself down there for the grand send off. Get those vegetables that you don’t know what you’ll do with and do something with them. Experiment with a loaf of something you don’t recognize. Treat yourself to something sweet. And say hi to your neighbors while you’re there.

Wednesday, Sept 27th 3:30 – 7:00 PM at Meridian Park. Last chance until May 2018. See you there!