Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

World Views:

Topics

18

Mar

A Monumental Race: The Eiffel Tower Vertical

by Meredith Mullins on March 18, 2019

Night shot of the Eiffel Tower, one of the amazing places on earth, for the Eiffel Tower Vertical race. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

A hint of the moon on the night of the Eiffel Tower Vertical race
© Meredith Mullins

One of the Most Amazing Places in the World Rises to the Challenge

Remember those days as a child when you couldn’t help but run up stairs, two or three at a time.

You often didn’t know (or care) what you would find at the top. You were just excited to get there in a burst of energy, wrapped in the sheer joy of running.

That same exhilaration still exists. In Paris last week, running up stairs (two or three at a time) took center stage—during the 5th annual Eiffel Tower Vertical race.

La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel—one of the most challenging tower races in the world—made one of the most amazing places in the world even more thrilling.

Two runners at the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Moments of joy at La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel 2019
© Meredith Mullins

The Vertical Challenge

The race is legendary. Tower runners from all continents vie to participate.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, one of the most amazing places on earth, hosts the Eiffel Tower Vertical run 2019. (Image © Meredith Mulllins.)

The 1,665 steps of the Eiffel Tower become even more challenging on the night of the race.
© Meredith Mullins

The 1,665 steps, which gain 276 meters (three football fields) in altitude, make this one of the most difficult races in tower running—a vertical tour that includes such skyscrapers as One World Trade Center in New York (2,226 steps), the Lotte World Tower in Seoul (2,917 steps), the International Commerce Center in Hong Kong (2,120 steps), and the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai (1,334 steps).

International Commerce Center in Hong Kong , one of the tallest buildings and most amazing places in the world for tower runners who have participated in the Eiffel Tower Vertical. (Image © bpperry/iStock.)

Tower running reaches new heights, including the International Commerce Center in Hong Kong.
© bpperry/iStock

Only 130 runners were accepted into the Paris race this year—one runner for each year of the Eiffel Tower’s existence. (The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the Universal Exposition. With just a bit of math calculation: In 2018, the race hosted 129 runners, and for 2020 . . . 131 runners.)

Of the 90 men and 40 women selected, 40 are elite runners, 80 are amateurs, and 10 are wild-card recipients.

Janet Goodwin, an entry in the Eiffel Tower Vertical race came to one of the amazing places in the world for this tower race. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Australian Janet Goodwin, a wild-card recipient and stair-climbing trainer,
flew 22 hours just for the race.
© Meredith Mullins

Jean-Charles Perrin—founder of La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel and EcoTrail International CEO—is rightfully proud. “There are tower races in many countries, but creating a race at such an iconic monument makes it special.”

The Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most visited monuments on the planet. It took years of negotiations to bring the race to this historic tower.

Jean-Charles Perrin, founder of the Eiffel Tower Vertical race, at the Eiffel Tower, one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Jean-Charles Perrin, the founder of La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel, cheers on the runners.
© Meredith Mullins

What also makes the Eiffel Tower so special are the unique challenges for the competitors. It’s the only tower race that is outside—open to the elements.

Add to that the complexity of spiral stairs (some so narrow that no runner can pass another), steps of varying sizes, and a combination of stairs and flat stretches—from one staircase to the next, from one floor to the next, or as runners move from the south pillar to the west pillar for the climb.

ECOTRAILORGA_CHRISTOPHEGUIARD_Laurent Vincente runs in the Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Photo © EcoTrail Organization.)

French runner Laurent Vincente surrounded by the structure of “The Iron Lady”
Photo courtesy of the EcoTrail Organization

The stairs from the second to the third étage are not open to the public, so the runners have the unique privilege of climbing these stairs in the last leg of the race.

Oh, I see. This is one tough race. But the expansive view of Paris at the top is well worth the climb.

ECOTRAILORGA_CHRISTOPHEGUIARD, a woman running up stairs at the Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the amazing places on earth. (Image © EcoTrail Organization.)

Fighting for the reward at the top: a finish line with a view.
Photo courtesy of the EcoTrail Organization

A Dramatic History

The Eiffel Tower has the distinction of hosting the first-ever stair climbing race more than 100 years ago.

In 1905, a daily sports newspaper organized the “Stair Championship,” which attracted more than 300 participants to climb two levels of the Eiffel Tower (only 729 steps rather than the three levels and 1,665 steps of today).

Stairs of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, one of the most amazing places on earth and host to the Eiffel Tower Vertical race. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The Eiffel Tower stairs have always called to adventurers.
© Meredith Mullins

A magnet for daredevil activities, the Eiffel Tower also lays claim to the world’s oldest elephant trying to climb the stairs, athletes racing up the stairs on mountain bikes, people descending the stairs via wheelchair, and the inevitable illegal parachuting or bungie jumping from the tower.

The famous French high-wire artist, Philippe Petit, walked from the Palais de Chaillot to the second floor of the tower via tightrope in 1989 (to celebrate the 200thanniversary of the French Revolution).

Group of runners at the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Let the race begin!
© Meredith Mullins

2019: Under Eight Minutes!

This year’s story was no less dramatic. The good news was . . . it wasn’t raining. The bad news was . . . it was cold and the wind was fierce. The top of the Eiffel Tower was swaying.

The race was delayed by 30 minutes as the organizers waited for the wind to subside and debated whether to make this a “race to the middle” rather than a “race to the top.”

Not a chance. La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel is a race about summiting.

Runner #2 climbs the stairs of the Eiffel Tower Vertical at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

It’s all about reaching the top.
© Meredith Mullins

Let the challenge begin.

The race is in time trial format, with a runner in the starting block every 30 or 60 seconds.

Runner checking watch at the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Keeping track of time in the race agains the clock
© Meredith Mullins

Support shouts of “Allez! Allez! Courage!”could be heard at every turn as, one by one, each of the 130 racers did their best to manage their breathing and overcome muscle pain, dizziness, and burning lungs to reach the top—a finish line with a view.

Piotr Lobodzinski, winner of the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical, rounds the corner at one of the most amazing places on earth—the Eiffel Tower. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Men’s winner Piotr Lobodzinski stays strong throughout the race, finishing in under eight minutes.
© Meredith Mullins

The 1st place winners of the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical were Piotr Lobodzinski from Poland (7:53:97) and Suzy Walsham from Australia (10:16:57). Not surprisingly, both are the reigning world champions in tower running. More results can be found here.

ECOTRAILORGA_ANTHONYCHAUMONTEL_VTE2019_Suzy Walsham running in the Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image courtesy of the EcoTrail Organization.)

Suzy Walsham’s focused race brought her another victory.
Photo courtesy of the EcoTrail Organization

They were pleased with their race, given the challenging conditions. And, as Piotr said when he received his award, he hopes, like fine wine, he will just get better with age.

It is certain that more amazing places in the world—the tall ones, especially—will continue to attract these super athletes. Congratulations to all.

The runners of the 2019 Eiffel Tower Vertical race at one of the most amazing places on earth. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Congratulations to all!
© Meredith Mullins

For more information about the Eiffel Tower Vertical, visit La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel website, the EcoTrail website, and the Towerrunning World Association website.

 Health Note: Research shows that climbing stairs has significant health benefits. You don’t have to enter The Eiffel Tower Vertical race, but if you take the stairs every now and then, you’ll be the beneficiary.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Adventure Travel/France/On Foot

07

Jan

In Florence, a Feast of Festivals

by Joyce McGreevy on January 7, 2019

A view of Firenze from across the Arno inspires a writer to reflect on the cultural traditions of New Year in Italy. (Image © Victoria Lyons)

Winter in the city of Dante: Florence invites reflection and revelry in equal measure.
© Victoria Lyons

Savoring the First Week of the Year
Is an Italian Cultural Tradition

Are “the holidays” a faint memory? In some countries, all trace of yuletide is tidied away with alarming efficiency. Trees that inspire ho-ho-ho’s one day, get the heave-ho the next.

Here in Florence, Italy, January’s air is still redolent with balsam. Fairy lights arch over streets, and by Italian cultural tradition, a feast of festivals continues. Long past December, much remains to be savored, so my friend Victoria and I go with the Florentine flow.

Pasticceria Nencioni in Florence, Italycelebrates the festive Italian cultural traditions of the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

On the Via Pietrapiana, Victoria admires edible art at Pasticceria Nencioni.
© Joyce McGreevy

Il festivo is January 1. That’s Capodanno, “the head of the year.”  But first comes la Festa di San Silvestro, December 31. On-the-street TV interviewers ask passersby whether il Capodanno or la Festa di San Silvestro has more significance, a friendly debate that eludes resolution.

Il Mercato Sant’Ambrogio, Florence, Italy showcases the festive style of Italian cultural traditions during the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Five days into 2019, festive home cooks keep business brisk at
il Mercato Sant’Ambrogio.
© Joyce McGreevy

On New Year’s Eve, per cultural tradition, Victoria cooks il cenone (“big dinner”) of lenticchie e cotechino, a soul-satisfying lentil stew with sausages. Coin-shaped lentils and rich pork symbolize prosperity.

Prosecco, lentils, and cotechino are part of the culinary and cultural tradition of Florence, Italy during the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Prosecco chills, lentils simmer.
© Joyce McGreevy

Che Bella Notte!

If Christmas Day in Italy is a private family affair, New Year’s Eve is a nationwide block party.  At 9pm, we join pedestrians of all ages in il centro storico. The night air is invigorating, the cobalt sky calm.

Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy is the site of a festive cultural tradition of open-air concerts during the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

After il cenone, enjoy il concertone at Piazza della Signoria.
© Joyce McGreevy

In the loggia, musicians warm up orchestral instruments. Victoria and I warm up with hot chocolate, an orchestrated event in its own right.

For the same cost as disposable cups of watery mix, we are ushered to a linen-covered table at a sheltered outdoor café. Amid the rosy glow of space heaters, we’re served the richest, most intense chocolate. If la dolce vita had a taste and texture, this would be it.

A cup of hot chocolate in Florence is made according to Italian cultural tradition, (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Bubbling like lava, cioccolata calda is made by melting chocolate morsels
in special machines that prevent lumping and burning.
© Joyce McGreevy

Momenti degli “Oh I See”

Earlier that day, we’d experienced a classic movie moment: A man carrying a precarious tower of boxes approached from the left as some clueless visitor (okay, okay, me) approached from the right. Last-second choreography by both parties and a tug from Victoria averted pratfalls.

Now we experience another such moment: When we leave a modest mancia (tip) for our waiter, he touches his heart three times. Dismiss the gesture as theatre if you must, but his smile reaches all the way to his eyes as we exchange New Year wishes.

Outside Orsanmichele, a Gothic granary-turned-church, we meet a man who is sketching the statuary. He is Taisske Kinoshita, a classically trained artist from Yokohama.

Taisske Kinoshita is an artist from Yokahama, Japan who lives in Florence and is trained in classical Italian cultural traditions of drawing, painting, and sculpture. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Italian museum curators like Loretta Secchi have praised Kinoshita’s gift
for revealing [una] visione dell’animo umano, “a vision of the human soul.”
© Joyce McGreevy

The Art of a Moment

Florence is Kinoshita’s home now, has been for 13 years. As we chat, he switches between English and Italian with the same fluid elegance we see in his sketch (and later, his sculptures and paintings).

Oh, I see: Such unexpected moments encapsulate life’s magnificence.

Quasi Mezzanotte! Almost Midnight!

The concert begins. Two orchestras—one local, one that’s traveled by bus from the Ukraine—delight the audience with music from Rossini. When both conductors take to the podium, they playfully duel. Then one guides the orchestra while the other conducts the audience.

A New Year’s Eve concert at Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy is a festive cultural tradition during the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In harmony: the Chamber Orchestra of Florence and the Ukranian Symphony Orchestra.
© Joyce McGreevy

Presto ci sarà un’esplosione di baci, exclaims one conductor. “Soon there will be an explosion of kisses.”  Then it happens—a chorus of cathedral bells, chrysanthemum bursts of fireworks, a mass outreach of hugs, un’esplosione di baci.

New Year’s Eve fireworks at Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy is a festive cultural tradition during the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Per Italian tradition, New Year fireworks repel bad fortune and attract bright prospects.
© Joyce McGreevy

Two ladies in tea-cozy hats magically produce a bottle of prosecco, seemingly from thin air. Soon others “discover” that they too have bubbly and stemware on hand. Who knew there was such bounty hidden in the folds of coats and the depths of handbags? Che miracolo!

Solemnly, the ladies pour for themselves, then—even though we’d not spoken a word—for Victoria and me. Is it clear from our expressions how touched we are by their gesture?

Buon anno! we toast. “Happy New Year!”

Then the crowd disperses, as decorous now as they were exuberant just one moment earlier.

Street scenes of pedestrians in Florence, Italy reflect the cultural traditions of festive winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Forget GPS. Follow the festive pedestrians!
© Joyce McGreevy

Too Late?

Our gracious landlady had invited Victoria and me to drop by dopo cena, “after dinner.” But dare we, we wonder aloud, as we return to Via Fiesolana. Surely it’s too late, even on New Year’s Eve.

Hurriedly—an absurdity at this hour—we trade winter gear for dresses, gather gifts, and tiptoe up the stone steps of the palazzo to listen at the keyhole. If we hear nothing, we’ll discreetly retire.

Vestri chocolate shop in Santa Croce exemplifies the festive cultural traditions of the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Seeking gifts for our host in our Santa Croce neighborhood.
© Joyce McGreevy

Voices! The hum of festive conversations.

The big wooden door swings open, and Fiora’s welcome is warm. The spacious living room is made all the more inviting by book-lined walls, a Christmas tree, and children playing a board game.

The dining room table bears the elegant clutter of celebration. We meet Duccio, Fiore’s husband, and another couple. Linda and Niccolò have a farm in Chianti, where they produce olive oil and wine, La Querce Seconda.

Ceramic plates in Florence, Italy showcase images associated with Italian and Florentine cultural traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Ceramic plates showcase Italian landmarks, Florentine motifs, and Tuscan hills.
© Joyce McGreevy

If it sounds idyllic, the idyll is at the consumer end. Farming is constant hard work, from contending with micro-terre, multiple soil types, to vigilant canopy management, and more. One hopes for rain—just not the rains that can wash away the fruits of a year’s labor, which happened in 2014.

I soon realize that the poise of this couple signifies something more—the grace that emerges from perseverance. A timely reminder at the start of a new year.

Restaurants on New Year’s Eve in Florence, Italy reflect a festive cultural tradition of the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Renewing bonds of friendship nei ristoranti is a highlight of Italian winters.
© Joyce McGreevy

Conversation flows, and so does ruby-dark port. We nibble mulberries from Iran and fruitcake from Siena, each slice as intricately constructed as stained glass.

Victoria and I don’t wish to overstay our welcome, a comical notion at 2am. Reluctantly, we excuse ourselves. As we murmur thanks, another guest arrives: Fiora’s aunt. Stylishly coiffed and attired, Zia Roberta looks as fresh as a daisy.

The Duomo in Florence, Italy is an icon of Italian history and cultural tradition. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A winter night’s walk offers surprises: holiday lights and a glimpse of il Duomo.
© Joyce McGreevy

And Still the Festivals Continue

On January 5, Italian children (and two American visitors) hang stockings. It’s the eve of la Festa della Befana, when Befana flies her broomstick down chimneys.

Fear not. The world’s cheeriest witch delivers giocattoli e caramelle (toys and candies), then sweeps the floor to clear away last year’s problems.

Shop windows in Florence, Italy celebrate the cultural tradition of Festa della Befana. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Lots of games and little objects for the socks of Befana!”
Some Italian children wait until Festa della Befana to open gifts.
© Joyce McGreevy

But wait, there’s more! Every January 6, Florence celebrates Epiphany with the sumptuous  Cavalcata dei Magi. In a cultural tradition from the 15th century, men on horseback portray the Three Wise Men as Renaissance nobles. Followed by 700 costumed figures, they parade across il Ponte Vecchio to il Duomo to present their gifts. Veramente magnifico!

Cavalcata Dei Magi, an annual Epiphany procession in Florence, Italy reflects a cultural tradition of the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Cavalcata costumes are inspired by Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes.
© Joyce McGreevy

È Poi? (And Then?)

Today it is January 7. The Twelve Days (and then some) of Christmas have finally passed.

But wait, what’s that we see? Like rose-red butterflies, sale signs flock to the city.

Underwear in a shop window in Florence, Italy reflects a cultural tradition, wearing red underwear at New Year’s to bring good fortune, (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Red undies and briefs fill shop windows. Wearing them is said to  bring good fortune for the new year.
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s time to don your finery, gather the family, and wander out for a look. Perhaps pause for a meal, or at least take coffee with friends.

After all, the streets of Firenze will be so festive!

A street scene in Florence, Italy reflects a cultural tradition of savoring the winter holidays. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Winter in Italy—a warm benvenuto awaits!
© Joyce McGreevy

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

  • Follow the Italian-inspired artist Taisske Kinoshita here and here.
  • Discover the wines of La Querce Seconda here and here.
  • Watch la Cavalcata dei Magi here.
 

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Italy/On Foot

06

Aug

Take a Fresh Look at Farmers Markets

by Joyce McGreevy on August 6, 2018

People at Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street reflect the popularity of farmers markets as an American custom. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Every summer over 10,000 people visit Old Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street.
© Joyce McGreevy

How an American Custom Keeps Evolving

 It’s time for a field trip! Today marks the start of National Farmers Market Week, so grab your reusable cloth bags and let’s go see what’s in season. We’ve got energy to spare, thanks to all the organic fruit and vegetables we’ve been enjoying this summer.

People at Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street enjoy the American custom of a farmers market. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Free samples? Yes, please.
© Joyce McGreevy

Farmers markets in the United States are a time-honored American custom. If you’ve ever visited Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the site that started it all, you probably admired its Romanesque Revival market house. But that’s just the “new” building—added in 1889. The original opened in 1730.

Lancaster Farmers Market in Pennsylvania has been the center of an American custom since 1730. (Image public domain)

Lancaster Central Market is America’s oldest farmers market.

Other markets soon followed. In Alexandria, Virginia, some of George Washington’s Mount Vernon crops landed in buyers’ baskets. In 1779, Soulard’s Farmer’s Market opened up west of the Mississippi in St. Louis. On August 17, 1907, the day that Pike’s Place Market opened in Seattle, crowds were so massive that produce sold out in minutes.

A basket of organic radishes reflect the American custom of shopping at farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The roots of farmers markets run deep. 
© Joyce McGreevy

A Market Crash

But by the 1940s, American farmers markets were as rare as hen’s teeth. What upset the apple cart?

Progress.

As Americans became car drivers and followed the new interstate highway system out of the cities and into sprawling suburbs, the distance between farm-raised food and buyers widened. “Convenience foods” went from novelty to so-called necessity as big factories sent big trucks to bigger and bigger supermarkets.

People shopping for groceries in the 1940s reflect the switch from farmers markets to supermarkets. (Image Library of Congress)

By the ’40s, supermarkets like this one in Washington, DC had changed the American diet.
© Joyce McGreevy

The number of farmers markets plummeted.

Despite a rekindling of interest during WWII, a national renaissance was slow in coming. In 1970, only 340 farmers markets remained, many of them operated by resellers, not growers.

Back to the Land—and the Farm Stand

Organic beets in an array of colors show why shopping at farmers markets has become a popular American custom. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

And the beet goes on . . .
© Joyce McGreevy

But the ‘70s also sparked new interest in healthy eating. The ‘70s economic recession “helped” too, nudging shoppers away from costly convenience foods to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables.

As farmers markets sprouted up nationwide, the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 fertilized the soil: numerous states enacted regulations that shortened the distance from farmer’s field to kitchen table.

People at the farmers markets on Alvarado Street, Monterey find a variety of organic fruits and vegetables. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At farmers markets, consumers can buy the freshest produce possible.
© Joyce McGreevy

Over the next 15 years, the number of farmers markets increased by as much as 500 percent in some states. Today, nearly 9,000 farmers markets are flourishing across the U.S.

A collage of organic vegetables and herbs reflects the bounty of the American farmers market. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Eggplant and peppers and herbs, oh buy!
© Joyce McGreevy

Getting Fresh

What do we love about farmers markets? To start with the obvious, there’s the food. Berries and stone fruit with flavors so rich they not only register on the tongue but also evoke sweet memories. Lettuce that isn’t packing material. Today’s “greens” offer a rainbow of colors and hundreds of tasty varieties.

An organic peach reflects the appeal of farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Gather ye seasonal peaches while ye may. 
© Joyce McGreevy

And oh, those names. There’s poetry, history, and more in heirloom tomato varieties like Dagma’s Perfection, Green Zebra, Brandywine, Abraham Lincoln, Paul Robeson, Mortgage Lifter, and Banana Legs.

There’s beauty in the colors and shapes, too, a beauty that wears the odd blemish or nick with pride. That’s what happens when tomatoes have been ripened in the field, not gassed while green and “packed to stack.” Sure, you can count on supermarkets for tomatoes that look as uniform as ping-pong balls. The trouble is, they have about as much taste.

A trio of heirloom tomatoes reflects the appeal of buying organic vegetables at farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Real tomatoes don’t wear uniforms.
© Joyce McGreevy

Getting Social

We also go to farmers markets for the human interaction. At a time when everything can be ordered online, visiting your local farmers market has become an everyday travel experience. Destination: The Land of the Living.

A smiling vendor in Monterey, California reflects the friendliness of farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Three out of four farmers who sell at farmers markets use practices
that meet or exceed organic standards.
© Joyce McGreevy

People who study these things have reported that folks who shop at farmers markets have 15-20 social interactions per visit compared to 1-2 interactions at supermarkets.

Vendors from P&K Farms reflect the appeal of buying direct from the growers at farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Three generations of the Tao family have planted produce by hand at P&K Farms.
© Joyce McGreevy

For me, that’s the “oh I see” moment: Farmers markets not only offer you fresh, organic produce, but a fresh, organic perspective on community.

Keauhou Farmers Market on the Big Island of Hawaii reflects the variety of U.S. farmers markets. (Image © John McGreevy/Molly McGreevy)

Keauhou Farmers Market on the Big Island offers native Hawaiian Mamaki tea, seafood,
organic pineapples, macadamia nuts, and more. 
© John McGreevy/Molly McGreevy

Getting More Connected

Farmers markets grow local jobs and feed money back into local communities. They are also becoming accessible to more of the people who make up a community.

A growing number of farmers markets take place on college campuses, in hospital parking lots, and outside office buildings.  Thousands of farmers markets now accept SNAP benefits and other nutrition-program vouchers. And as Civil Eats reports, the range of cultures represented among vendors, customers, and foods is slowly broadening.

Artwork by Picasso and skyscrapers in Daley Plaza, Chicago suggest the variety of American farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Chicago’s Daley Plaza Farmers Market comes with a view of
a Picasso and classic skyscrapers.
© Joyce McGreevy

Increasingly, farmers markets—and farms—are coming to “food deserts,” communities with severely limited access to grocery stores.  In recent years, nonprofits all over the U.S. have sent mobile farmers markets into underserved counties. Meanwhile, organizations like GrowNYC, and Chicago’s Growing Home are establishing farms and markets in city neighborhoods.

It would be wishful thinking to say that farmers markets have fully evolved to reflect all of America. But the seeds are growing.

Get Going!

Over time, cooking demos, walking tours, and other events have become features of this American custom.  Technology has taken its place, too. Among the fresh offerings during this year’s National Farmers Market Week is a #LoveMyMarket photo contest on Instagram.

Musicians from the Santa Fe New Mexico band Lone Pinon reflect the importance of the arts at American farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Santa Fe Farmers Market, New Mexico, has great live music. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Meanwhile, live music at markets still favors the old-timey. My unscientific survey suggests that string bands rule. So rosin up the bow, grab your gingham cloth bags, your digital camera, your “I Heart Farmers Markets” tattoo, and let’s get going!

Snap peas and sweet peas reflect the organic vegetables and flowers found at farmers markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Pick up snap peas and snap up some sweet peas. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Which farmers markets have you visited? Find your nearest market here.

Another staple of farmers markets: Little kids being adorable. Enjoy.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Map Points/On Foot/USA

Copyright © 2011-2025 OIC Books   |   All Rights Reserved   |   Privacy Policy