Farmer's Market, What to Purchase and What not to Purchase?

A recent article from our neighbor in Iowa warns consumers about what to purchase froma a farmer's market and what not to purchase from a farmer's market.

SEE http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/07/19/summer-travel-tip-poorly-handled-farmers-market-food-can-make/?icid=main|aim|dl6|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fsummer-travel-tip-poorly-handled-farmers-market-food-can-make%2F

This segues well into a recent post I made that was passed on from Rebecca Terk's Flying Tomato bolog. it discusses new laws concerning SD Farm markets and gets into the nitty gritty of what is out there.
That advice should be followed at grocery stores, delis and community pot luck meals. In other words, common sense.

The August 30 Time Magazine discussed whether or not you should buy organic food.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601100830,00.html

What a person buys at a Farmer's market is not necessarily organic. If that is important to you, you need to ask.
I do think organic, not necessarily certified organic, but grown without chemicals is better for us and definitely better for the land.
I buy my milk where the cows are pastured every nice day, and outside just about every day of the year. Milk from animals that are free from added hormones, antibiotics, fed a grass based diet, out in the fresh air and sunshine soaking up the vitamin D is superior to milk produced any other way.
The same for chickens, the very best chickens are ones that are outside during the day, the flavor difference is unmistakeable.
When people visit me and eat pork, beef or chicken, they are amazed at the flavor. One person eating a pork chop, thought it was veal.
If I had children in the school system i would never let them consume meat from the cafeteria, if the school did not buy their produce from local sources, I simply would make their lunch every day.
The recent egg recall did not disturb me, I never buy my eggs from a store. The hamburger recall did not distress me either, I never eat commercial hamburger, or any other meat. I want to see the face of the people who produce my food and observe their practices.
Because I do this, do i think I will live forever? Never be ill? No. But the flavor and the nutritional quality are worth the price difference. Knowing that I am buying my food from people who are ethical producers means a lot to me. I can't change the world, but I can arrange my little corner of it.