Hello. I am Miss Janice, an educator and lover of life! I enjoyed my 21 years in China, my 38 years as an educator, and I am back in the US now sharing my US experiences with you.On Saturday we headed out to the Boise Farmer’s Market. Most cities and towns have some sort of outdoor/indoor market here, where people can go and buy beautiful fresh produce. In our area alone there are over 5 markets that we could attend that are within 5 to 10 miles of our home; so far I have visited two of them this summer—the one in Eagle, and one in Boise. This market was designed for artisans to sell the best that Boise has to offer. An artisan is a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.The lovely thing about the market in Boise is that there is plenty of beautiful, fresh produce, from vegetables to herbs to fruits, fresh flowers, plants, and more. They have vendors who come in from their wineries who offer free samples and wonderful deals on wines. There was a brewer who offered samples of his beers and both hard and alcohol-free ciders. There were gourmet coffee shops who sold delicious coffees that they had roasted in their shops as well as the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted! There was even a vendor who sold Italian style sodas, and the raspberry one was excellent. There was a booth selling frozen meats and steaks, and another selling buffalo meat and products. Another vendor had fresh cinnamon rolls, and I bought three for our breakfast the next day—one was a chocolate cinnamon roll, another was a pecan/caramel, and mine was a traditional cinnamon roll. They were huge, and each cost $3, which is around 20 rmb per roll. They were so yummy! There was a vendor selling tamales, a Mexican favorite food, and another one selling food selections from Africa. We made the mistake of eating breakfast before we went, and next week we will not make that mistake, as there were so many goodies we wanted to try!The people who sell their wares are generally the farmers who grew the vegetables, or those who create the products or who work at the venue. We met a young man who was 19 who had grown his corn and mushrooms that were for sale from his family farm; he was studying agriculture at Boise State University. There was a retired teacher who had started a business making and selling beautiful cookies, and who uses this as a platform to supplement her retirement. There was a baker who had the most delicious honey & oats bread, the best cinnamon bread ever, as well as over ten varieties of fresh breads to choose from that she had made the night before into Saturday morning. She was selling at the fair, and selling from home as well. She was in her 40’s, and very talented!There were people who were selling oils, aromatherapy, hair & beauty products, magnets that they had hand-made, carved wood, trivets and trays to serve food on, wood carvings and artistic pieces for your home. These artisans are very talented, and they use this as a platform to display their abilities. Many sell items online and some prefer to go to fairs and markets throughout the year to sell their goods. This is a great way to spread their name and also a good way to meet nice people.At the markets there is a price set by the seller, and it is not negotiable. It would be offensive to ask a seller to take less, and no one is really making big money on what is sold. They are all making a living, and for most the prices are similar for similar items. People who go to Farmer’s Markets go to support the local sellers, to buy fresh or unique items, and to enjoy the community. They do not go to the market to save money on a product or to try to get the best deal. They are looking for healthy, quality items.There were several food trucks in attendance, and this varies from week to week. Boise has a wide variety of food trucks to choose from, with a huge selection of different types of foods on display. I have tasted foods from several trucks so far, and will share that with you in the future. I LOVE food trucks!At the market there was a sign that announced that Dogs were not allowed. I asked others why, and it seems that dogs here can get pretty big, and this is a busy spot. At this market people were buying, shopping, munching, and then going elsewhere. It is easier not to allow dogs, and dog owners were all okay with that. At the market in Eagle there were dogs allowed, but at that market there were also fewer people, and the set up was in a park.Thank you for joining me today. I wish you all a wonderful week, and welcome you to join my future adventures. ☺未来跟着Janice老师学英文专栏会在喜马拉雅APP同步更新。欢迎移步订阅。
