Folk music played in background as students, families, and neighbors came together to enjoy the homegrown foods and unique merchandise offered by local farmers. Every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. the city of Oxford hosts a farmers market for the community. The market boasts numerous fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade candles, live music, and much more. Multiple booths lined the streets selling various goods ranging from flower bouquets to pottery.
The Farmer’s Market Uptown is a great way to immerse oneself in the local culture, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Eating locally possesses numerous benefits that go unacknowledged. Locally grown foods are low in pesticides and hormones, and this results in an increase in the flavor of the food. When crops are distributed to grocery stores, they are picked before fully ripening, creating an absence in flavor. The produce that is offered at local markets, however, is typically sold within 24 hours of being picked, providing fruits and vegetables with optimal taste.
Food grown locally contains more nutrients relative to crops that are infused with harmful chemicals and pesticides, thus, eating locally is not only a tastier option, but also a healthier one. For instance, a recent survey conducted at a farmers market in Brownsville, Texas, found that more than 80 percent of shoppers said the produce was better than what they found at other places they shopped.
Supporting local markets not only improves personal health, but it is also extremely beneficial to the environment. Industrial-farming techniques negatively impact the environment in a myriad of ways. Detrimental effects include, but are not limited to, pollution, over usage of surface and ground water, degradation of soil quality, induced erosion, and damage of biodiversity. In light of these adverse effects, it is truly beneficial to purchase produce from local vendors.
The farmers market this Saturday not only provided fresh produce, but also home goods, jewelry, candles, and pottery. These goods are some of the major selling points of the market each weekend. These unique products are exclusively provided at these local points of sale. Purchasing goods at the market that are not mass-produced bolsters the viability of the local farms, strengthening the economy overall. Therefore, attending farmers markets not only provides the community with fresh and healthy options, but it also offers exceptional products for everyday living while advancing the local economy.
“I come here every week, and it is a great way to sell my products,” said regular vendor, Bob Rauen.
Rauen attends the Farmers Market Uptown each week with an array of goods. On the display table, Rauen provided more than ten different flavors of jellies, including elderberry jelly, spiced apple jelly, and blackberry jelly. Alongside the jellies were different types of honey Rauen had made himself from the bees he keeps.
“After I make the honey I use the bee’s wax to make these candles,” Rauen said as he held up an intricately designed candle, “I use different kinds of molds to get the different designs, it only takes about three hours,” Rauen continued.
It is vendors like Rauen who contribute to such a lively farmers market with a large assortment of products for the local community. The Farmers Market Uptown is a great opportunity to eat locally, seasonally, and healthily.
Farmer's Market Uptown
