Our Farmers Market Haul in Long Beach, CA
Long Beach, California is a walker’s paradise, ranked as the tenth most walkable city in the United States (and the second most walkable in California!). We love living in this laidback beach town and exploring all the things there are to discover on foot.
Walking to nearby local bars and restaurants, we thought we were taking full advantage of our town’s pedestrian-friendly design. But we didn’t realize until the coronavirus pandemic hit just how dependent we were on a car for our our weekly errands. Each week, we piled into a car and maneuvered through a packed parking lot just to get fruits, veggies, and packaged goods from faraway places.
Out on a run together during the pandemic, we discovered a farmers market a little bit over a mile away from our house. It ticked all of our pandemic safety boxes - outdoors, socially-distant - while giving us a much-needed break from our car. Now we treat ourselves to shopping fresh, locally-grown produce by foot - and we get to support local growers at the same time.
At first, it was hard to adjust to the seasonality of local fruits and veggies. I mean, think about it. You get attached to a fruit or veggie. It becomes a trusted and beloved part of your weekly routine. And then, suddenly, it gets wrenched from your rotation without a warning. (Ok, maybe a little bit of a warning). You might have been planning - no, aching - to cook something (roasted red pepper soup!) only to discover that your main ingredient has just gone out of season. Cravings and plans be damned.
But slowly, gradually, you learn to pivot - to become flexible with your meals and your snacking and to adjust to the rhythms of your local agriculture. And all the while, you get to reduce your carbon footprint, too.
The farmers market is more fun than the grocery store. You get to know different vendors, discover variations in crops between farms, spend less time shopping, and get to know other regulars. All the while avoiding that blasting air conditioning and hazard-filled parking lot.
Our huge farmers market haul gradually changes with the seasons. In this December video, we share all the fresh fruits and veggies we eat in a week.