By Michael Mascha & Donna Navarro

Have you heard? The opening day of the Harlingen Farmers Market last Saturday was a huge success. Many people who came to buy produce commented about how happy they are to have a farmers market in Harlingen. Others expressed pleasure in their good fortune at having such a wide selection of vegetables and fruits available in December. Going forward it will be important to understand the economics of a farmers market, and for our community to take responsibility for keeping the market going and growing.

A farmers market can be many things, but one thing a farmers market is not is a place to buy "cheap vegetables". Don't come to the market if you are looking for cheap veggies, go instead to a big box store that stocks everything under the sun, flown in from far away places. At a farmers market the emphasis is on local quality… not on the quantity of what you can buy for a dollar. As you’ll discover, less is more - much more.

More. Not only do you get high quality naturally grown vegetables that have been harvested that day or the previous day, but you also support Rio Grande Valley growers. Your support is important because it allows the growers to continue using their high quality small production approach to farming that creates such delicious and nutritious vegetables. You and your family become a part of the cycle of planting, harvesting, purchasing, cooking, and eating food that is grown on fertile land both in Harlingen and radiating out in all directions around it. You will get to know the growers and understand that your support is critical to their businesses.

More. Shopping at a farmers market becomes a fun and educational experience as you learn about the seasonality of produce.  We are so used to getting any and all vegetables throughout the entire year that we forget that nature has growing seasons. All fruits and vegetables are associated with a particular season during which they grow under natural circumstances. We are very lucky down here in south Texas to have a long growing season. Once we begin to tune into seasonality, we enjoy and appreciate the current season’s produce. As time goes on, we start to anticipate the next season’s produce, which creates enthusiasm around purchasing and eating the food we buy and brings variety into our diet.

More. At a farmers market you also get exposure to produce not usually available in the supermarket. The excitement of the market experience is that if you see a vegetable or fruit you aren’t familiar with, you can ask the grower about it. They will tell you what it is and how to prepare it. Right now winter melons are a great seasonal vegetable used in stir-fry and soups.

Please join us at the Harlingen Farmers Market on Saturdays from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at El Mercado Mall. Don't forget - come early, the growers will sell out.