April Showers bring May Flowers, more Farmers’ Markets, and a crowd of Holidays to boot!

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Well for some reason, the last few weeks of April felt more like the normal temperatures for March, unlike the March temperature which soared into the 80's and even the 90's on more than one occasion! Nevertheless, our flowers are blooming and thankfully we’ve gotten some very much needed rain over the last few weeks.

Back in March, I listed for you all of the Farmers’ Markets that opened up in April. A few were left off that list, so I’m including them all for you now. Just in time for the First of May! Check out this link here for all of Richmond’s Farmers Markets.  There’s bound to be fresh, local produce near you!

What about some other exciting events in May?

How about Cinco de Mayo!

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Translated as the Fifth of May, this holiday is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16.

In any case, I’m a huge fan of Mexican cuisine so in celebration of this Saturday, here are a few tasty (and healthier) versions of some classic Cinco de Mayo recipes...

Farmers’ Market Openings

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It is officially the first day of Spring! Also known as the Vernal Equinox, this is the time of year in which the daylight hours become increasingly longer than the dark. Hooray for more after-work sunshine! 



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The arrival of Spring means different things to different people. To me, it means balmy daytime temperatures and cooler nights, with beautiful blooming foliage giving home to cute chirping birds; it’s that time of year to dust off my fishing rod and get outside more often in general. But perhaps one of my most favorite reasons for loving Spring is… (drumroll)… the reopening of local Farmers’ Markets! Hooray for fresh, local produce!

As we've discussed before, there are many great reasons to shop from a Farmers' Market: (1) Buying foods locally helps support local farmers and local economy; (2) They can inspire you to try new foods, as you'll likely see various varieties of produce that you may not find in the conventional supermarket; (3) Purchasing your foods locally increases awareness of where your food comes from (freshly picked from a nearby farm!); and, (4) Buying from farmers eliminates the cost of the middleman and pricey shipping, so you get more value for your dollar! Hooray for extra savings in my pocket!



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So after three great reasons for some extra "Hooray" in our lives, I have listed some of the Farmers’ Markets, CSA’s and local farms open for business now or starting in April, 2012

Follow the link below to see the complete list.