The farmers' market of West Tisbury, Mass.

This post has been delayed while I agonized over the carnage in Lebanon. Meanwhile, here I sit in one of the most idyllic spots in the United States, making myself available to a sick friend. Here are some views of where we shop every Wednesday and Saturday.


The market is held outside the Old Grange Hall.


Yes, there is a new agricultural hall; it is down a road apiece.


The town of West Tisbury requires that everything sold be local products. Items that might be questioned come with assurances.






Of course the big attractions are the local vegetables.








Once the local tomatoes come in, they are the stars of the market.


Trawling for freshness is a great pastime on a lazy summer morning.


Families confer.


Friends meet.


It gets hot and boring when the adults keep talking.


"Maybe when they stop we can go there?"

For a really interesting discussion of how consumer demand for local food intersects with supermarket economics, see this San Francisco Chronicle article.