Hope you were able to find what you were looking for and enjoyed your trip!

Well, if you really want to travel, Fayetteville Arkansas has a Farmer's Market that is equal in quality to anything you'd see in Northern California or Connecticut/Long Island. I only went on three saturdays, but the selection was enormous. The locals grow rare heirloom varieties. One day there were red, gold, and white raspberries (all picked that morning). Several people had their own heirloom apples. All four sides of the old town square are packed with vendors. I was there in early September. Pretty much everything is organic (though usually not certified).

I also try to buy local and organic where possible. This summer has been wonderful. 90% of are veggies and 75% of our meat is from the OSU Farmer's Market or food coop. Just wish the winter produce was as abundant, but a little at a time I am learning how to perserve what we like. Mostly freezing due to time constraints (if only a job wasn't necessary;) Most of the vendor's at the farmer's market welcome visitor's to there farm's and will answer questions about pesticide, antibiotic, etc. use. More and more are organically certified. I question some who use "no pesticides"- what about herbicides? Might not hurt me, but don't like the side effects to other plants. So I try to buy local and organic, then local and near organic, local and conventionally grown, then the grocery store. If something is conventionally grown, why not buy it fresh locally instead of one week old from the grocery store. Of course, it has taken a few years to get to this point, but the more familiar I get with the local sources the easier it is. For those who don't want to join the coop, consider that the coop website has information that will allow you to contact most of the producers. Many give information on how animals are raised or if produce is raised organically. So you can find someone near you in the state and where they sell their products. Many people sell from their farm's or at farmer's markets closer to them. Other's might have their products in a local grocery store like Crescent Market or The Earth in OKC. It is a great resource- especially for those like me who isn't always organized for a once a month order and delivery! BTW- the newest OKGazette just came out today. The issue is dedicated to articles about local food. Paraphasing pedmond "BTW, I'm not a producer for the co-op or any other producer for the farmer's markets, I just like the fact that it provides an alternative to store bought products and the fact that my money stays in Oklahoma to help other Oklahomans." This is a topic I feel very passionate about, so I am glad to see so many of my gardenweb friends talking about it.

Congratulations on your first week! Add me to the list of people who marveled at the setting. Ours is under an overpass right off the interstate- they kick the bums out for the morning, and it smells like pee :-D. The offerings sound delicious. There are always people at a farmer's market who don't bother to check whether the food is local, but stands like yours usually develop a following- people who will buy whatever you have that week because they trust the quality. I look forward to hearing about how the next one goes!