New Jersey Farms > Philly Farm Markets

One of the perks of living in the Philadelphia area was the ease of access to locally grown food; within a five mile radius of our apartment there were at least 5 farmer's markets, each sporting different local farms' bounty. I was actually concerned about how much more difficult it would be to find local fruits and vegetables once we moved back to New Jersey, but apparently I didn't have much to worry about.

I was already aware of one farm near us that lets you pick various fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Then I found out about the website LocalHarvest.com, which makes it exceptionally easy to find farms/farmer's markets/CSAs/specialty-food-stores nearby. I found out that there's a farmer's market every Thursday one town over, and there are at least three farms within a 15 mile radius of here that have farm markets open daily, serving their own or other local farms' goods. So whether you're craving vegetables, stone fruit, berries, or even herbs - someone in the area has got you covered.

Besides, all my favorite vendors at the Philly markets were actually representing New Jersey farms. Duh. That's why we're the Garden State. Why on earth would I worry about being able to find local food in the state that grows some of the most on the East Coast?!**

While last year I was fairly diligent about posting each week's farmer's market bounty, this year I completely forgot to take a photo after my first trip of the summer. Oops. Oh well, too late now. So instead, here's what I got the second week I went! (Which was... maybe three weeks ago now? Yes, I am indeed just that bad about posting & taking photos in a timely fashion.)

Here's a secret though... this is what the scene really looked like during my photo shoot:







Curious cats. They can't get enough of food.

I've been getting sweet corn and potatoes every time I go. The greens get switched up each week; usually between zucchini, green beans, and lettuce. If I buy too many things at once, we don't have time to go through them all and they end up sitting unused for too long. The local berries have been good this year, but the peaches (my favorite!), not so much. It's still early in the season though...

** Not a proven fact. At all.