Last Sunday I joined the Rose Scholars on a trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market. I’ve been several times before and could not pass up the opportunity to go again. Along with having an excellent selection of produce stands, there are also craft stands and several food and beverage stands. The breakfast burrito and Cambodian food stalls always have long lines. The maple syrup stand however is one you can’t miss. I’ve often picked up a bag of maple cotton candy there and finished it in the same day.

This particular Sunday, after browsing all the stalls I picked up some corn fritters with spicy mayo from Macro Mama’s and some hot apple cider from the apple donut stall. I sat out on the landing enjoying my finds and watching the lake. It was a little chillier than I would have liked, but it made the hot cider that much sweeter. If you haven’t been to the farmer’s market yet, it’s definitely an Ithaca must. It’s amazing the local treasures that Ithaca provides, and the way the Ithaca community comes together on things like the farmers market to add to its small town flair.

Last Saturday I finally had the opportunity to go to the Ithaca Farmer’s Market for the very first time. I had always heard good things about the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, so I was very excited to finally have the chance to go. I would certainly recommend going, for it was a great experience. There was lots of amazingly delicious food, as well as beautiful crafts. I also found myself wishing that I had a garden, since there were so many wonderful plants. Overall, it was a Saturday well spent, and I shall certainly return.

Being from upstate New York, I have been to plenty of farmer’s markets before, but I found the Ithaca one to be a bit different from the others that I have attended. The most notable difference was the enclosure. The farmer’s markets that I have been to before have all had their booths set up under temporary tent-like structures (much like the farmer’s market at Cornell). At the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, however, everything was set up in a wooden enclosure that appeared to be built for the purpose of housing the farmer’s market. This was also the first farmer’s market that I have attended where there were vendors selling crafts, in addition to the typical vendors selling food and plants. Maybe I just had never noticed them before, but the only place where I have seen a collection of craft vendors is at a crafts fair. I actually thought that their inclusion was nice, since it added in a bit more of a variety to the types of vendors present. I have always liked attending places like this, and the Ithaca Farmer’s Market was set up in a way that I enjoyed.

According to their advertising, all of the vendors at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market produce their products within 30 miles of the market location. Consequently, I didn’t know what to expect. How many farms are there in the Ithaca area? -a surprising number (at least for me).

At the farmer’s market, I found not only vendors selling produce, but also honey, dairy and meat products, fresh flowers, bread and baked goods, soaps, jewelry, and gifts. There were also several restaurant stalls. The first lesson I learned was that I have been seriously underestimating our agricultural community.

Mine is not a farmer’s market going family. I had always believed they were essentially an outdoor Whole Foods-everything is beautiful, and it’s probably better for you, but who has that kind of money? The prices I saw at the market were surprisingly reasonable. Of course, you also get the benefit of knowing where your food came from, and the opportunity to purchase organic products. I don’t know that most “mid-range” grocery stores stock much organic produce-Wegmans might be an exception. But I do know that, when you can find it, it tends to be considerably more expensive than non-organic alternatives.

I live in a dorm, and my ability to cook is limited right now, but if I ever get an apartment, this is somewhere I can seem myself shopping on a regular basis. Not only is the farmers market a good place to go to get groceries, it’s a great way to get off campus for a while. The pavilion is located right by the lake (inlet?, river? Do they call it something else once it makes its way into Ithaca proper?) and there is a seating area and a dock in back. For my own part, I bought a banana and nutella crepe after I was finished browsing, and enjoyed the water view. I also grabbed a loaf of bread to bring back to my dorm. Cornell’s food is generally pretty good, but I feel like you can’t get good bread here.

One final advertisement: If, like me, you have a windowsill garden that is rapidly getting out of hand, Ithaca Farmer’s Market has something for you. I bought both a succulent and a passion flower, and, if there was more time left in the term, I definitely would have started some dorm-room herbs.

As a college student, my life consists of studying, sleeping, and eating. In the few moments I have to spare, I choose to relax and rewind with a TV show, a movie, or even just a nap. Because of my busy schedule, in the nearly nine whole months I have been at Cornell, I have very rarely ventured off campus to experience the local lifestyle and culture of Ithaca. This on-campus isolation has been a regret of mine that I have been wanting to change for a while. This past Saturday, the Ithaca Farmer’s Market finally offered me the opportunity to connect with and explore my surrounding community.

From fragrant flowers and raw honey to handcrafted scones and freshly squeezed juices, the Farmer’s Market showcased the talents, hard work, and passions of local merchants, artisans, and farmers. It is undeniable that locally-produced, fresh food is of a higher quality than supermarket goods. Therefore, you’d expect that farmer’s market goods are more expensive than grocery store merchandise, right? I did, and, in fact, I panicked because I arrived at the Farmer’s Market with only $15 in my pocket…

However, interestingly enough, I left the Farmer’s Market with a full $7 remaining in my wallet. My purchases, consisting of a raspberry almond scone, a cup of natural strawberry lemonade, freshly-fried apple cider donuts, and a burrito, cost me just $8. Shocked at this low cost, I did some researching upon returning to my dorm and discovered that, according to a study, farmer’s market produce is about the same price as supermarket produce. Additionally, organic items actually cost less at local markets than they do at grocery stores (Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/forrest-pritchard/first-time-shopping-at-farmers-market_b_5519524.html).

These unexpected results need to be more heavily advertised to encourage more folks to support their local farmers, get involved in the community, and partake in higher quality, fresher food.