Why I love my farmers market

What'd you do this weekend? I'll be asked. And I'll tell them the truth, we went to the farmers market.

Sometimes I'm met with an raised eyebrow, others and eye roll. But here's the truth. For our family, it's the place to be on a summer Saturday morning.

While we might go to a different one every now and then, we always return to our trusty market. And here's why.

The people.

No, not the food. We can get tomatoes or cucumbers or herbs just about anywhere. And to be honest, this little market pales in comparison to the variety at other locales.

But it's about people.

Our vendors have watched our children grow from infants to savvy shoppers, picking out their own plants and produce on occasion.

My daughter has her favorites, too. First we catch up with the Pepper Guy, discussing how our tomatoes are growing, commenting on the garlic, him offering her a head or two to plant this fall or vastly miscounting the number of peppers he's throwing in our bag.

Then we wander to another booth, where the owner comments that she doesn't see us at her farm stand as much this year (a change in open dates, combined with an overly aggressive planting at home and a change in evening schedules, sealed the deal).

Then to the mom and her kids, who each sell their organic produce in the shade. (Even the children are in the act this year, growing their own.)

See, we could shop just about anywhere. But it's about the people we see each week that make the difference.

This is my contribution for the July APLS Carnival topic on farmers markets. Join us for a wrap-up on July 18!