We have a very good Public Market here in Rochester that is very popular.
There is produce from local farmers along with a lot of stuff trucked in from CA. The trick is to ignore the out of season trucked in stuff and buy local. It tastes better, supports the local farmers, and is fun to try out. The market is a riot of color and sound.
There is also a first rate coffee shop and an outstanding cheese shop that offers inexpensive and nutritious breakfasts on Sunday.
I bicycle in since it is a short and simple trip for me. I pass line upon line of cars steaming and moving by inches into the area, searching for a parking spot.
I park the bike by tying it to a metal fence, go get breakfast, walk around the market with the bike (not easy, but it takes up less room than a stroller and the food goes in the panniers) and leave for home while more and more drivers try to puff their way in.
It's gotten so the farmers recognize me. I'll ask them to keep an eye out for my stolen bike, which was very distinctive looking.
Lately I see more and more cyclists coming in to the market. Maybe I've had an influence. Anything that works for a bicycle works for me.
cerewa
07-10-06, 06:29 AM
There is also a first rate coffee shop and an outstanding cheese shop that offers inexpensive and nutritious breakfasts on Sunday.
is the coffee shop's coffee fair trade? (I think asking for locally grown would be a bit much :) )
gizmocat
07-10-06, 07:00 AM
(LOL) No, they don't grow coffee here. And they only have one or two brands of fair trade at the market.
If you want only fair trade, you shop at the Abundance Cooperative Market a few blocks away. I typically stop at both places on market day and I only buy coffee there.
gizmocat
07-10-06, 07:02 AM
There is also a local farmer who has started producing French-style artsian cheeses and selling it at the market. These are the best cheeses I've had in America, they are quite as good as French or Italian cheeses. The best is called "Red Meck" and not "Red Neck" as I originally thought.
It's organic and produced from milk given by grassfed cows. Great stuff! and it packs well on a bike.
hotwheels
07-10-06, 07:40 AM
Sooooooooo jealous. SUpport that market!!!!!
gizmocat
07-10-06, 07:47 AM
I'm a member of the cooperative (shareholder) and shop there all the time.
Not to say that this is a scintillating jewel of a city from the social standpoint. Since it is a college town most of the social groups are for twentysomethings. I am hoping to meet some nice cycling partners on this forum, whatever their ages.
Roody
07-10-06, 10:48 AM
Good deal: We have a City Market that sounds a lot like yours in Rochester. In fact, it was the first place I rode my bike to after my epiphany that bikes are more than just toys.
Even better: We have a couple farmer's market that have only locally grown stuff, mostly organic. The problem with these is that they're only open a few months a year, and only on one or two days a week
Best of all: I ride my bike a few miles into the country and load up on produce at farm stands. There is NO petroleum involved in this exchange!! :) And it's probably the freshest possible food, other than having your own garden. These farm stands usually run on the honor system--you serve yourself and leave the money in a lockbox, or even an unlocked coffee can. The drawback is that they don't usually have a wide selection, so you have to be flexible and just eat what you can get.
smurfy
07-10-06, 10:51 AM
That's really cool, gizmocat!
I've been patronizing the local farmer's market held at the UCC Church every Sat. about four miles from where I live (by bicycle, of course!).
There is a Mennonite family that has the best tasting granola ever. They also sell homemade cheeses, free-range chickens and eggs, and also raise rabbit for meat which I don't buy they offer it. Other venders have homemade bread, flowers, honey and free-range natural beef, pork, ostrich etc. Fruits and veggies are coming but not available yet. I don't bother to lock my bike since it's in my sight at all times. Hopefully I'll see more bikes there instead of Beemers, Lexus's etc.
There is a farmer's market downtown that's actually closer to me but it's gotten way too crowded and commercial, plus they sell alot of trinkets and other junk. It's just turned into a carnival and that's real sad.
Roody
07-10-06, 10:53 AM
Oh--another newer development is that local organic growers are selling "shares" in their crops. You pay in advance on an annual basis. Every week during the growing season, you receive your share of the fresh crops. Besides produce growers, some small meat and dairy producers are going this route. Some of them deliver the food to your house, or to a central distribution point in the city.
rec-cyclist
07-10-06, 10:55 AM
We have a small farmers market here in town that is surprisingly good as well. I hadn't been in years so we walked down there Saturday. Picked up some baked goods, fruits/vegetables, flowers, and some pesto made locally. It was nice walking by all the people jostling for a parking spot. Our jog stroller was full, so my daughter had to walk home. I can still think of worse things
donnamb
07-10-06, 12:45 PM
Oh--another newer development is that local organic growers are selling "shares" in their crops. You pay in advance on an annual basis. Every week during the growing season, you receive your share of the fresh crops. Besides produce growers, some small meat and dairy producers are going this route. Some of them deliver the food to your house, or to a central distribution point in the city.
These are so popular where I live that the wait-lists are enormous. If you can get in with a good one, you're very fortunate. Any good corn? I miss Michigan corn.
marcm
07-10-06, 02:19 PM
Oh--another newer development is that local organic growers are selling "shares" in their crops. You pay in advance on an annual basis. Every week during the growing season, you receive your share of the fresh crops. Besides produce growers, some small meat and dairy producers are going this route. Some of them deliver the food to your house, or to a central distribution point in the city.
Indeed, Rochester has at least one of these (http://www.gvocsa.org) (they're called CSAs, for Community-Supported Agriculture), which has weekly pick-ups at Abundance. I get most of my vegetables there, and rarely shop at the Public Market anymore, though they do sometimes have good local, organic produce. And there's a farmer there (on the outside of the curve, stand number 80-something), Rick, who sells organic free-range meats, including eggs from grass-fed chickens. I'm mostly vegetarian (I eat fish occasionally), but if I ever decide to eat chicken again, that's where I'll get it. Reasonably priced, too.
Roody
07-10-06, 05:50 PM
These are so popular where I live that the wait-lists are enormous. If you can get in with a good one, you're very fortunate. Any good corn? I miss Michigan corn.
It's a little early yet. I took a ride through a bunch of cornfields today. In one field the corn had "twirled". A farmer explained to me that this is some kind of defense the corn plants have when the weather's real dry. The leaves twirl around the stalks to conserve water. They'll "untwirl" if we get a good rain. Weird.
HardyWeinberg
07-10-06, 06:34 PM
We had a farm share back in WV, was great. Have one now in WA, also great. Oh my god local berries (rasp-, straw-) soooooooooooo very wonderful. Was in CA a couple wks ago and CA strawberries even in CA weren't as good. Forget the styrofoam ones that make it up here.
marcm
07-10-06, 07:14 PM
Have one now in WA, also great. Oh my god local berries (rasp-, straw-) soooooooooooo very wonderful.
Almost as good as the blueberries (come August). Or, if you're lucky, blackberries. I miss the NW.
gizmocat
07-10-06, 07:41 PM
I also own a share in a local organic farm. The stuff I can't eat I give to the neighbours; they cook it and we all have dinner together. I call it the world's smallest cooperative.
gizmocat
07-10-06, 07:42 PM
Indeed, Rochester has at least one of these (http://www.gvocsa.org) (they're called CSAs, for Community-Supported Agriculture), which has weekly pick-ups at Abundance. I get most of my vegetables there, and rarely shop at the Public Market anymore, though they do sometimes have good local, organic produce. And there's a farmer there (on the outside of the curve, stand number 80-something), Rick, who sells organic free-range meats, including eggs from grass-fed chickens. I'm mostly vegetarian (I eat fish occasionally), but if I ever decide to eat chicken again, that's where I'll get it. Reasonably priced, too.
Yes, I buy chickens from Rick the organic free range man. There are other organic farmers there too though they are in the minority.