Farmers Market

 I visited the Haile Plantation Farmers Market on February 22. I've been to the farmers market in my hometown many times and the Haile market once before, in the fall. Even though it was a colder morning, there were still a lot of people wandering around. 

All the sellers were under pop-up tents, but I saw a few different marketing tactics used. Some had colorful tablecloths and signs in the tent. Others had sidewalk signs or clipped smaller signs to the front of their tents. 

Besides tomatoes, I didn't see many fruits, but there were a lot of leafy vegetables. I also saw other farm products, including eggs, meat and honey. Some stalls were serving food, and my friend and I both got empanadas (which were very good!). There were also a couple of stalls selling other homemade items, like hair clips. 

The tents selling fruits and vegetables covered their tables with their products. Some of the tents selling food offered free samples to draw people in. 

In addition to my empanada, I also bought some local honey to take home with me. I just planned to get a couple of honey sticks, but the booth had free samples of three of their honey flavors. I liked the wildflower honey and have heard that local honey can help with seasonal allergies, so I decided to get a honey bear for my apartment. 

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to the farmers market! Even though it's a bit of a drive from campus, I brought a friend with me and we had a great time wandering around and enjoying the environment. In the middle of the market there was a live band, and we had a delicious fresh breakfast. I was hoping to see a few more fruits, but the absence of them just goes to show that the farmers are only selling in-season fruits and vegetables, which I like. There was also a sense of community at the market. Beyond running into multiple people that I know, there is also a positive atmosphere at farmers markets that I love. Hopefully I have time to visit again before I graduate this semester!