Week 7: Support local agriculture

One thing that I miss about North Carolina is the food culture. At least in the Research Triangle, where I lived, it seems like everyone is into food - eating it, growing it, buying it locally, cooking it, taking pictures of it, writing about it, and talking about it. I frequented the Durham Farmers' Market myself, but there are plenty of great markets in the area. Carrboro's market is famous all around the country, and Raleigh's State Farmers' Market is open every single day.

Photo via

Although I've always loved farmers' markets for the bountiful fresh produce, the connection with my growers, the distance from farm to fork, and the ability to ask questions about how the food was produced, they became even more important to me this past fall. For starters, I had a kick-ass internship with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Health Bucks program, which aims to help low-income NYC residents purchase fresh fruits and vegetables with $2 coupons that can be used at every one of the 130+ farmers' markets within the 5 boroughs. Working for this program was such a wonderful experience and gave me a much deeper appreciation for the people who produce our food. A second reason for my increased interest in local produce is the result of this book, which M picked up for me on a whim while she was visiting me in New York:

Photo via

Move over, Michael Pollan: this might be the best book that I have ever read about food production and the many ways that it affects our global economy, our culture, and our health. Raj Patel takes an in-depth look at the ripples produced by the global food system and how they affect much, much more than even I ever realized - and I think about this stuff a lot. Highly recommended reading, if you're into that sort of thing.

Anyway, the point of all this is to say that ever since I've been in Phoenix, I've been wanting to find some great local produce. Because the weather is so beautiful for so much of the year, and because I know that there is farmland just outside of the city, I figured that there must be at least one absolutely amazing farmers' market here to frequent. I decided that my goal for week 7 would be to find a farmers' market that I love.

So, did you do it? Sigh... no. I tried one here in town, and there were only TWO stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables. There were at least as many - maybe more - hawking dog treats, for Pete's sake! I should say that the two produce stalls there did have a lot to offer, but I think I've been spoiled by my experiences in North Carolina and New York, and I was pretty unimpressed. I went hiking on Saturday with a new friend here, and she said the same thing about the farmers' market she had visited the previous weekend. What's up with this, Phoenicians? Any recommendations?

To end on a happy note, here's the view from my hike up South Mountain!