Some people that haven't had the experience might ask why it is so different to go to a Farmers' Market than simply going to your local supermarket.

There are of course several answers to this, from “you have to see it yourself” to slightly longer ones. But for those out there that have no Farmers' Market around your area, let me try to explain a bit of it...

The farmer selling directly to the costumer creates a rapport that we cannot achieve in grocery stores, and which enriches the whole experience on both sides. The added benefit of knowing who grew the food, and where it comes from is greatly expanded by the flavor that can be only obtained with the freshest of products.

There is no shipping expenses, no manipulation of the crops and products to get them to you, most farmers will pick their produce the same day they sell it at the Farmers' Market. Everything is fresh and new. You get to meet the person that picked it up, you can ask them questions, ideas and even recipes (a personal favorite)

So let's talk a little about the history of the Farmers' Markets...

Although now associated with the Slow Food Organization, they predate the Italian-born movement by some time. Without going as far as the original way produce was sold a couple of hundred years ago, we can pin down the “American Farmers' Market Renaissance” to a few decades ago.

While the concept has been kept in Europe with open air markets, and several southern countries have also kept a similar system working, in the USA it had declined to the point of being non-existent.

However, in 1934 it became a reality in Los Angeles, when several farmers parked their vehicles in an empty lot in Gilmore Island, and started selling their wares right there, successfully selling their produce and impressing the clientèle with their products.

Soon it became popular enough to host live sporting events and music, and more importantly, people started to become aware of the differences in quality and the several benefits of going to their local Farmers' Market to buy food.

Despite the existence of some Farmers' Markets, by 1970 farmers were having a really tough time, and small farms were all but disappearing, the consequence of dealing with supermarkets and companies that would control the prices for farming goods that would not be of advantage to the farmers. Fortunately during this decade a direct marketing approach was taken, and the Farmers' Markets were Certified.

In 1978, the San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market was created on Broad Street, and was a great success, however in 1983 a joint effort between the Downtown Association and the Farmers' Market turned Thursday evenings into an event of its own, having local restaurants selling food on the street rubbing shoulders with the local farmers while different music bands play every block.

And while it is extremely popular, there is also yet another Farmers' Market in San Luis Obispo, happening every Saturday morning at the Promenade in front of Cost Plus.

Each visit to the Farmers' Market is a different experience, you will see some new faces amongst the familiar ones; tourists, a booth you might have passed by on several occasions will have something that will call your attention. You will see fruits and vegetables that will make you imagine new ways of cooking and enjoying your food.

It is always worth to visit and have a great time and at the same time support your local farmers and the economy. So, if you haven't been to one yet, you should, then you'll know what all the fuss is about.