Across America, people are escaping fluorescent-lit grocery store aisles to rediscover the fresh, seasonal offerings of the farmers' market. A new and thriving culture has sprung up as thousands gather each weekend to pinch, poke, smell, and probe the produce--—and at times each other. Who knew that buying peaches and eggplants could be such fun?
Mike Madison, who raises organic flowers, melons, olives, and apricots, has been setting up at these markets for over twenty years. With keen observations and sly wit, Madison presents a series of essays and vignettes that introduce us to the characters who make our food, the economy that produces it, and the spirit that has placed farmers' markets among the fastest growing movements in the country.
Mike Madison lives with his wife Diane in Winters, California, where they have created the Yolo Bulb, a small truck farm in the Sacramento Valley. His previous book, Walking the Flatlands, is available from Heyday. He is also the author of No Time to Nap.