Japan Farmers Markets

Wojcik Farms at The Tecumseh Farmers Market ! That last typhoon certainly did some damage and local farms felt it as much as anyone with greenhouse roofs damaged and row covers flung hither and yon. While the fruit and veg you see this weekend may have some bumps and bruises, don't hesitate to purchase. After you whack it up for cooking, who will know? We're all in this together, so supporting these farmers is one of the best things you can do for the future! Market of the Sun Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 Market of the Sun (a.k.a. Taiyo Marche)  professes to be one of the largest, and it is certainly a good one. A short walk from Tsukiji Market and its wonderful surrounds, this market is worth a visit for its lovely selection of foodly and crafty items that rivals the goodies found at the UNU Market. 10am to 4pm Step out of Kachidoke Station at Exits A4a or A4b and look for the tents. Oiso Farmers Market Sunday, September 15* Thi

Oasis 21 Organic Farmers Asaichimura in Nagoya. Photo courtesy of Takako Yoshino. The first article in a series called Women of Taste is up at The Japan Times. Takako Yoshino, manager of the Oasis 21 Organic Farmers Asaichimura in Nagoya, is the first. Yoshino is a visionary and a community-builder focused on creating a sustainable market for farmers and eaters. Her work weaves a connection between the tables set up each Saturday morning at Oasis 21 to the rural areas surrounding Nagoya as well as between the customers and farmers who join her there. What she is doing is extraordinary, delicious, and wonderful. Others in the series will include a baker, a food photographer and designer, a farmer, and a chef. These are all women I have met or known for some years and whose stories I have long wanted to tell. I'm grateful to The Japan Times for sharing my excitement and taking on this series. If all goes well, it may get extended, so please read and share the articles. Most o

Elaine from Needle Lane Farms representing at The Tecumseh Farmers Market . Summer is winding down, although the temperatures in these early days of the month seem to convey something else. Yet, these warm days turn fields into a cornucopia of delights that farmers bring to market tables each weekend. It also means that as the temperatures gradually cool, it will be good weather for canning up tomato sauce or other delights to be enjoyed over the winter months. So, grab a hat, a shopping bag, and head on out to one of these lovely markets! Market of the Sun Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 Market of the Sun (a.k.a. Taiyo Marche)  professes to be one of the largest, and it is certainly a good one. A short walk from Tsukiji Market and its wonderful surrounds, this market is worth a visit for its lovely selection of foodly and crafty items that rivals the goodies found at the UNU Market. 10am to 4pm Step out of Kachidoke Station at Exits A4a or A4b a

Clearly, I'm a big fan of farmers markets and local growers and producers. Organic growers and producers, too, are among my very favorites. I talk about this a bit in my About Me page, but suffice it to say that I believe that those farmers are where our best hope lies for the future. It was a real pleasure then to write about Eat Local Kobe for The Japan Times and help spread the word about some very good work underway in that city. The market is a wonder, and the farmers there are the kind of people who make you want to up stakes so you can talk to them regularly and help out. Eat Local Kobe is the kind of food hub the world needs. Read my story about it here and plan to head on down there to see it for yourself!