During Passport to ASU 2010 a student asked me why he should shop at a farmers market.  I told him that The Tamale Store tamales are delicious, that it’s like drinking an apple when you have some Sedona Sweet Cider, and that it is a slice of heaven to eat a tomato from Big Happy Farms.  This fall’s Farmers Market at the ASU Tempe campus starts on Tuesday, October 5^th, and it will continue every other Tuesday (October 19, November 2, November 16 and November 30).  From the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) there are 10 more good reasons to shop at the Tempe campus Farmers Market.

1.       The fruits and vegetables are the freshest and tastiest available.

2.       The food you buy connects you with the cycles of nature within our region.

3.       You support small family farms.

4.       Locally grown food uses fewer resources and reduces water, land and air pollution.

5.       The food is grown without pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic modification.

6.       A Farmers Market offers a greater variety of foods.

7.       You can find meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals raised without hormones or antibiotics.

8.       You reconnect with the source of your food.

9.       Farmers offer free advice about how to cook the foods they are selling.

10.    You shop outdoors on a beautiful Arizona sunny day instead of under artificial lights with piped-in music.

The Farmers Market at the ASU Tempe campus will be located just west of the Memorial Union fountain.  You can try one of the fresh tamales, drink the cold apple cider or enjoy some free samples – Try Before You Buy.  For more information, visit asu.edu/farmersmarket.

By Betty Lombardo