Farmers’ market are a busy place in many towns, but in Centre County there is also a growing trend for organic food. A lot of farms are providing a big crop to choose from.
Every Tuesday during the summer, Cindy Noel travels to Boalsburg to sell her produce and snacks, “What you get at your local farmers’ market is harvested mostly the day before the market or even the morning of. So you’re getting it at its peak, not only freshness but also nutritional value wise. That’s the best time to eat the produce just after it’s just been picked.”
Noel has been at the farmers’ market for 12 years and she said the organic trend is not a fad.
“There were people, select customers that were concerned about their food but as the years have gone on more and more people – I think because of the media talking about organic food and it becoming more popular across the nation – we saw more and more people start to buy their food locally.”
Lyn Garling runs the Over The Moon Farm. Her table is set up right next to Noel’s every week. She sells a lot of pork and chicken.
“We just use grains, whole grains, vitamins, minerals that kind of thing, no antibiotics, no additives,” said Garling. “So we consider that a pretty natural product, it’s not certified but it’s pretty good.”
Garling said her hay and other feed grown on the farm are certified organic. She does not use pesticides or fertilizers and the certifying agency does an inspection on her farm once a year.
She said more people are carrying about what is being put into their bodies, “In the grocery store you can read the label or what’s on the label but that’s advertising and advertising isn’t the same as information and education about the actual product which we can provide here.”
The organic farmers at the Boalsburg market say once you eat from the food grown in Centre County there is just no comparison to the quality and taste.
The farmers’ market happens every Tuesday from 4pm – 8pm at the Boalsburg Military Museum. Check them out on Facebook
