Fosston Farmers’ Market Cultivates Food Revolution

Note: This is an article I wrote for the newspaper about the Fosston Farmers' Market.

When you hear the word “revolution” you probably think about Paul Revere’s ride and fighting off the redcoats. But over the last few years, there’s been a revolution in the way people think about what’s on their plate. America’s food revolution is happening in response to the alarming statistics we see on the news every day. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes are the nation’s top killers and directly linked to what we choose to eat.

Starting May 1st, Fosston will have its own weekly farmers market where you can visit with your neighbors and buy fresh food that has been grown or produced in the area. As you might expect, the season will dictate what’s available at the market. But even in spring, you’ll be able to find freshly baked, organic bread, locally produced honey, jams and jellies and cool weather crops like asparagus, lettuce and rhubarb. You can also find bedding plants so you can grow your own fresh vegetables and herbs.

Across Minnesota, farmers’ markets and roadside stands are nothing new, but it’s still a bit surprising that in this area where agriculture predominates, there aren’t even more opportunities to buy fresh, locally grown food. It’s great to be able to go into the grocery store in February and buy perfectly ripe fresh fruit and vegetables from Mexico or Chile, but in this era when we’re trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels – especially foreign oil – it’s a good idea to think about how many gallons of fuel it takes to ship all that food from one end of the world to another.

You may have seen “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” on TV. It’s a reality show about the popular British chef’s journey to get the schools in one West Virginia town to switch to a healthier diet. Week after week, we see him facing institutionalized bad food habits and a general lack of openness to change. But slowly, one meal at a time, he’s able to get through to even his harshest critics as they discover it’s not the end of their world and even making small changes can have a big impact.

Now that spring is finally here, this is the perfect time think about how what you eat affects your health, your family and even the country. Start your own food revolution.

Fosston Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday at 8 a.m. starting May 1st through the end of September. Located on the lawn of the East Polk Heritage Center on Hwy 2 East, Fosston. For more information, visit www.FosstonFarmersMarket.org or call (218) 209-2091.