I live and breathe the farmers market and not just in my hometown. When I travel, I find that visiting local farmers markets is often one of the best ways to experience the pulse of a new city. It’s a great way to connect with locals who are actively involved in the community that you and your family are exploring.
At any given market, you’ll surely find yourself bumping elbows with farmers, food makers, authors, crafters, and hardworking, lovely people. Once you get a conversation going with these wonderful people, ask if they have any recommendations for what can’t be missed in their area, or what they like to do with their kids. When we’re on vacation, we always discover new favorite restaurants this way.
In these pandemic times, we are all traveling less (or not at all) but you can still enjoy your local farmers markets! My family and I are at the market each weekend, both working it and exploring it. We know our city inside and out, and even so, we never stop uncovering new local treasures. In fact, we’ve even created a family-friendly activity built entirely around the idea of a trip to the farmers market. Here’s how it works:
Family Farmers Market Fun: Exploring New Foods
The Activity:
- Each family member gets a set amount of money. Any amount is fine. We did $15 each.
- Walk the market together looking at each booth.
- Ask the vendors which items they sell are their favorites.
- As you wander the market, have each person spend their allotted money on two things: one thing they have never tried before, and one thing that is a favorite item they want to share with the family.
- Once everyone has their items, use them to make picnic to share.
The Rule (there is only one and it’s easy):
- Everyone tries one bite of each item purchased at the market.
KidTripster Tip: When we travel, I have a snack bag filled with our favorite dried fruit, nuts, and crackers. I keep a small cutting board and a little paring knife handy for slicing fresh market fruits and vegetables. Most farmers markets will have a bread vendor and, if you’re lucky, a cheese vendor, and so we will add those to our snack board if we can.
The Result
Participating in this family activity serves a multitude of purposes. It gets kids to try new things. It inspires exploration of local food. It creates a family memory of that particular place and time. It gives you the opportunity to connect with new people — whether you’re traveling or just exploring your own hometown — and encourages your family to visit, chat, learn, and try something new together. Your kids may or may not like everything, but the experience of trying new things is what it’s really all about.
My family and I recently played this game at the Portland Farmers Market at Shemanski Park. When I handed my daughter a handful of money, I knew she might spend it all on sweet treats, and she didn’t let me down. She headed straight for a vendor called Twisted Croissant — a beautiful booth filled with elaborate croissants, bursting with cream, berries, and chocolate. She picked one of those pastries as the item she had never had. As for her “favorite”, she has been a longtime fan of Missionary Artisan Chocolates, a vendor that’s been our market neighbors for years and has been feeding her samples since she was old enough to chew. She chose chocolate covered marshmallows and vegan truffles as something she loved, of course, who am I to complain about chocolate?
As for me, I went with lemon cucumbers from Persephone Farm as the item I loved. And, bonus, lemon cucumbers were my grandmothers’ favorite, so I know we could work a little family history into our lunch time chat. These small cucumbers have a wonderful crisp texture and lovely mild flavor. For my new item, I bought honeycomb from our local honey vendor—something I’d always been curious about and had never sprung for. It had an amazing elegant texture, and pairs really well with cheese. The hexagonal comb, with its waxy texture, gives way to a deeply flavorful unfiltered honey. Yum.
Related: Gluten-Free Eats in Portland
My husband’s first choice was locally made kale chips from a women-owned farm called Farm D’ICI. We chatted with the farmer herself about the activity we were doing, and she was so excited we chose something from her farm. We have bought many produce items from her before, but when we asked what her favorite thing at her booth was, she proudly said, “Have you ever had my kale chips? You are going to love them” and we did! He also chose pickled garlic scapes from Frux Farm, our local garlic farmer. This ended up being our daughter’s favorite new thing, and we have bought them several times since.
Related: Top 10 Plays in Portland
We had a wonderful time exploring the market and getting to know our local vendors better. I hope you and your family enjoy this activity of exploration both at home and when you travel.
Related: Top 10 Stays in Portland
Sarah Marshall is the Owner of Marshall’s Haute Sauce in Portland, Oregon. Her small batch sauce company grew from her love of gardening, and background in home preserving. Sarah is passionate about farmers, artisan producers, and canning seasonal ingredients. Her love for canning and preserving all things local, inspired her to write Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning From Root To Top And Stem To Core.
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