Back in college, the days when it was difficult to wake up before noon on a Saturday, I would roll out of bed (quite literally), take a couple of aspirin, and make my way to the center of town.

When the snow started to slowly melt and students began to remember what green grass looked like, there would be a farmers’ market in the town square. Local farmers, bakers, and artisans loyally stood by their tents every week as students, faculty and locals all came together to celebrate their wares. The thought of fresh, organic, and locally grown food, enticed all walks of life, and was one of the only times that everyone came together to support the small community.

After graduation when I returned to the big city, I began to miss that small-town feeling, where one knew exactly where their food was from, and what family it supported. I’m not a strictly-organic gal at all, but I do like knowing that my food is fresh and after spending a semester living on a farm in high school, I can say that there are definite health benefits, not to mention a big boost in taste.

So, tired of paying an arm and a leg at Whole Foods I found www.LocalHarvest.org- a website devoted to finding farmers’ markets, restaurants and grocery stores that use local produce, closest to you. Just log-on and type in your zip-code and you’re halfway there. Each market, restaurant, etc is reviewed by other users and provides all the necessary information (address, days and times etc).

FarmersMarket.com is a similar site that can also help you in your search for freshness. So get out there and start reaping the delicious rewards from those who’ve toiled in the soil!