Hey there folks! Ed Kang, part of the Freshly Grown Team, here again. These are my continued adventures of life hacking my way to eating Farm to Table and living a regenerative lifestyle.
Farmers’ Markets are Intimidating
I have enough issues going grocery shopping to begin with. If I absolutely must go to the supermarket, I always plan a list first, then get in and out as quickly as possible. I do the same shopping for gifts (if I am not ordering from Amazon that is).
So the thought of going to a farmers’ market and actually buying something generally makes me queasy. Truthfully, I had already gone to two different markets in the last month (to research for Freshly Grown) and had bought nothing except pick up my pre-ordered organic steaks. The fact is, there has always been a certain amount of fear in picking produce, figuring out prices, and in general looking like a total noob. Maybe you can relate.
This time I was determined to get over my fears (really myself).
Just Buy Something (Anything)
My plan was to buy something–anything. I didn’t care if it was a turnip or a box of random fruit. This was the only way to break through. I headed to the market determined. So let me totally transparent. This time, I literally walked through the market then walked out with nothing. In my car I was all mixed with emotions. And after some positive self-affirmations, I got back out.
On the second tour, mustering up courage, I started talking to a gal that was selling bone broth made from ingredients sourced from local farms. I blurted out that I had no clue what I was doing. Thankfully, the response was not only friendly, but educational. I learned all about making broth and ended up buying two different kinds. Whew! Back to my car.
Just Spend $20 (on a Bunch of Anything)
As I was about to drive away, a sense that something was still missing crept in. My mission was not yet complete. So I got back out and decided to spend up to $20 at one stall on multiple products of something–anything.
Ending up at a vegetable producer, I just grabbed a bunch of bags of some favourite veggies. I would make soup with my newly discovered broth. I didn’t think. I just bought and would evaluate the value of my purchase later. Don’t think. Just buy. Figure out what happened later.
The final spoils of adventure included two packages of broth, a bag of peas, carrots and string beans. Yes! The relief!
That afternoon, I cooked three servings of soup made from “Medicinal Vegan Broth” created from a Calgary kitchen with locally sourced beets, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, nettle, kombu seaweed and coconut oil. After some quick calculations, the total cost of each serving was about $7.00. Not bad for some really healthy soup which will come in really handy for future Farm to Table Hacking.
Mission accomplished! I definitely feel more confident now and plan to go back. Now my approach will be to shop with a serving-based mindset starting with the broth. Stay tuned!
If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment!