Outside Experience: Farmer's Market

On a glorious thirty something degree morning, a few of us trekked out to the last outdoor farmer’s market of the year. With wooly mittens and tucked scarves, we came to the market to find the usual winter goodies: squash, kale, and tomatoes. However, seeing that it was the start of the Christmas season, the farmer’s market also had the usual fine Christmas fare: wreaths, cookies, fudge, and a warm fire. Carolers took to the stage singing Christmas tunes as shoppers went about their busy shopping, warming up their hands with cups of warm tea, coffee, or hot cocoa, and occasionally taking their mittens off to decorate a sugar cookie. I wasn’t nursing a warm cup of joe, but I did manage to stop and make a (somewhat) festive cookie with Lauren. And pet a reindeer!

Decorating cookies to get into the holiday spirt 

Take a break from pulling Santa's Sleigh

There are those who dislike the whole idea of Christmas. I get it. It's a holiday that thrives on the consumption of goods. But seeing how I didn't really grow up with Christmas, I enjoy the holiday season because of the Christmas spirit. Sure, it's like Valentine's Day: why is there only one day to show your love to a significant other- shouldn't that be the case everyday? And I agree with that sentiment- everyone should be happy and cheerful and grateful for their families on all days- not just the holidays. But people don't do that. The night before heading out to the Farmer's Market, I was downtown to see downtown light up the Christmas lights. There were people from all over huddled together to watch the lights turn on. I've never seen so many people. But that's the point. People come together when we give them a reason for it. Yes, most people NEED a reason to come together, but at least some reason to get together is better than no reason to come together. And what better way than to introduce Christmas shops AT the Farmer's Market FOR Small Business Saturday? People were ready to shop for their stomachs, and for their Christmas gifts, and it was all going to help out the local community. Even those who don't agree with Christmas buying and giving, should think that Small Business Saturday is the best of all evils. 

Those eggs look really,  really odd...

Taking a step back, I was impressed with the turnout of people at the Farmer's/ Holiday Market. Although it was a partly sunny day, the weather was also too cold for me to venture outdoors. So seeing families out and about, interacting with farmers also braving the cold weather, made me smile.  I try to make it to the farmer’s market at least twice a month (though failing miserably ever since school picked up), for it is my only chance to see life outside of IU.  College students tend to live in their perfectly happy bubble: going to classes, completing assignments, and hanging out with friends at the local college bar on the weekends. I was guilty of that my first two years in college. But once I saw the opportunity to branch out and actually connect with the community, I jumped at that chance in college, and have continued to do so now in graduate school. Some students get so caught up in being a student that they forget that they can be so much more than that. In addition to an IU student, I would like to think of myself as a Bloomington community member. And going to the farmer’s market is one way I can directly interact with people, and feel like I am a part of a greater community. I’ve written multiple blogs about the importance of community in sustainable communities, and this was my little way of walking the walk.