Design Observation 3: The South Bend Farmer's Market

I grew up in a very natural area of Pennsylvania in a town with no stop-lights, corn fields lasting for miles and hiking trails meandering up and through the vast and beautiful Appalachian mountain range, which my town nestles right up against. My town surrounds a children's duck lake on which fishermen can be seen in old rusty canoes in the autumn and spring and geese fly overhead on Christmas morning. Needless to say, this natural area produces abundant crops, fresh herbs and bright red tomatoes in the summer months, fresh cheeses and crisp apples in the fall. These gifts of the earth travel only a few miles to be sold. They can be found only in the local Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.

Since I have been out in South Bend, Indiana, I have longed for my life back east. In my mind, everything is fresher and more clear on the east coast; people are honest and food is pure. Little did I know how sheltered I am. Here I am in the Midwest, the agricultural heart of this country and I have not began to appreciate what the Midwest has to offer before this past year. An experience that has really brought me closer to the area in which I currently call home was my visit to the South Bend Farmer's Market this past Saturday morning. I was attracted to this service because of my connection to my farmer's market back in Pennsylvania. My parents frequent the Carlisle, PA Farmer's Market so I thought I should support the local farmers here in South Bend and reap the delicious benefits of their hard work.

The farmer's market is housed in a big red building that evokes feelings of an old barn with bare dressings. The morning was fresh and the air had that crisp scent of autumn. The stone parking lot was nearly full and my boyfriend and I had to find a place to squeeze in. We saw young families, older couples and some loose amalgamations of teenagers hanging around (likely helping their parents or friends at the booths). Inside, vendors lined the walls and stood behind tables displaying their produce, meats, cheeses and scrumptous treats (unfortunately, we did not pay a visit to those stands, better to never taste it than taste it and crave more, sometimes it is just nice to enjoy seeing the sweet "art"!! :)) The aisles were moving at a medium-slow pace and though initially we were moving at a medium-fast pace, we slowed down with the natural rhythm of the flow of people.

We stopped at a table where a husband and wife were displaying their vibrant green beans. Unsure of whether or not we were to grab a handful and do it ourselves, I asked her. She explained that we would tell her how much we wanted (a half pound) and she would measure it out and place it in a paper bag for us. We began to understand that that was the procedure here and that was helpful to know. Every interaction we had was a positive one. Some better than others (we loved the apple guy!) and others just polite but positive (the tomato lady, I think she was tired of selling tomatoes..) The interactions made me feel wonderful, I was helping the local farmers and getting the freshest produce at a great price. The crisp autumn air could be smelled inside the market as the doors were open and that smell along with the scent of apple pie and other seasonal desserts was sensational!

We are planning on going back to the Farmer's Market this Saturday morning before football game festivities begin. I would absolutely recommend the South Bend Farmer's Market to a friend who appreciates the farmer's market experience. The organic, home-grown feel of a farmer's market is such a wonderful, nostalgic feeling. I seek experiences like this one and when I have the opportunity to immerse myself in culture, I take it. Another similar experience that I am looking forward to is the New Buffalo Wine and Harvest Festival along the southern coast of Lake Michigan in a small town called New Buffalo. I am looking forward to sampling some of Michigan's best wines, partaking in the bounty of an autumn meal and experiencing New Buffalo, Michigan during one my my most favorite seasons.