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There's a new term going around, "locavore," and if you are one, that means that you'll only eat food that's been produced in the 100 mile radius from where you live. Unless you live on a farm, or have a particularly huge garden, that might be a tricky feat. But thankfully, there have also been a proliferation of farmer's markets lately. In fact, I read this morning that they've more than doubled in U.S. communities in the past few years.

We're so fortunate to have not one but two farmer's markets in our area:  one on Wednesday mornings, and another on Saturday mornings. And we're always delighted to check out the local offerings:  Green Zebra tomatoes, strawberry bread, artisanal cheeses, fresh quinces, watercress by the pound, and ripe avocadoes are but a few. The individual purveyors take such pride in their produce, meats and other delectables that they're often handing out free samples to give a taste of what you could take home. Depending on where you live, there could be several "stands" that are even more specialized:  fresh fish, tamales, and organic jams may be part of the mix.

It's also an incredibly great outing with the kids. I love having them see where foods are coming from, meeting the people that bring them to market, and getting a taste of some non-traditional or unusual foods that can't be found in the grocery store. Being at a farmer's market gives them the sense -- up close -- of how food gets "brought" to families. Plus, the kids seem to be particularly crazy for the samples (but then again, who isn't?).

We always make it a habit to pick up at least one fruit or vegetable that we don't normally eat, or may not have even tried. The bonus at the farmer's market is that the purveyors aren't only proud, they're also friendly. If we say we're interested in making a dish with their product, they're likely to reel off several possible recipes. They may even have a recipe card already printed and ready to dole out for the asking.

While we can't commit to being locavores just yet, farmer's markets do make such a sweet case for supporting local farms, and getting a taste of all the goodness they can bring to the family table.