Farmer's Market and Muscle Park

This week has been hectic!  I have a mid-term today in my food science class. Immediately following that we have to complete 2 labs and then 5 lab reports are due on Friday.
I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to hear about the effect of alkali substances on cooking times...so......let's talk Farmer's Market.

Do you frequently visit a Farmer's Market?


There was a "Harvest Festival" going on at the Winter Garden Farmer's Market that Kyle and I decided to check out this Saturday.  This market is also steps away from a "muscle park" running trial that we had been eagerly waiting to try out. That is what I call a "win-win" situation my friends.

Tea. Not beer.

Here's my question about Farmer's Markets.....the food is fresher right?

Some of the produce is local and I love that. However it confuses me when I see apples that say "Product of Washington". I know that apples aren't a common crop in Florida, but I'm always perplexed by whether or not it's a good idea to buy non-local foods from your Farmer's Market.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Since this was the Harvest Festival, there were triple the amount of vendors set-up as well as some classes on gardening and such.  I need the classes.  My thumb is so far from green.

We enjoyed browsing all the booths and all the samples. Yum!

I fell in love with this cute baby outfit.  I love tutu's on girls. I also think if I ever have a little boy I would like to dress him in suits all the time.  All the time. 

There were also some delicious looking baked goods. These are stuffed cupcakes from a place called Atomic Kitten Provisions. You know I love that name!

We were also intrigued by the Bamboo Tea display.

Did you know that true bamboo tea is great for your hair growth? It is also said to increase flexibility and aid muscle repair.  These benefits come from the silica in the tea.  We tried a lemongrass bamboo iced tea that was delicious. I'm seriously considering ordering some.

We also got some local Galberry honey for Kyle. Using local honey has helped reduce Kyle's allergy symptoms.  Galberry honey specifically is highly useful for a pre-workout boost.  Our friend at the Winter Park honey booth mentioned that they are working with the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado on getting Galberry honey to the athletes.

After a produce run that included tomatoes, peaches, okra, green beans, cantaloupe, and an avocado it was workout time.

The place was visited we call "Muscle Park". This isn't the technical name. It's a .4 mile running loop with various exercise stations where you can do pull-ups, dips, single-leg squats, decline sit-ups, etc...
My friend Alexis has an entire post on the park and I plan on doing one next time we visit.
We did a 20 minute high-intensity workout that involved spiriting between stations. At noon.  It was ninety! Talk about a sweaty workout.

Despite the "sweaty red face" I LOVED this workout. Being outside of my comfort zone really made me push harder.  I did 5 pull-ups by myself! Woot woo! Also, since this workout was all high-intensity intervals I achieved a maximum calorie burning effect that lasted well past my workout.
It was a perfect Saturday afternoon with my husband!

What do you like about Farmer's Markets? How do you feel about non-local produce there?

Love and free samples,
Carissa & Kyle