When camping in the southwest, if you have occasion to find yourself in the vicinity of Taos, NM any Saturday morning during the summer months, give yourself the treat of attending the Taos Farmer’s Market. It takes place in the parking lot of the Taos Town Hall, just a block from the Plaza from 8 am until 1 pm. This occurs from mid May until the first Saturday in September.

^[1]You will be treated to a plethora of special items. Vendors sell fresh and organically grown vegetables, including an incredible variety of lettuces and spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, leeks and the like. There are probably more vegetables available than you have ever seen in any one location.

Organic eggs are also available (and delicious, I might add!) for a mere $4 a dozen. The grocery store nearby sells them for nearly $6 a dozen. Handmade cheeses are sold at several booths, everything from feta to the more traditional cheddar and mozzarella.

^[2]Other vendors bring starter bedding plants, from tomatoes to the ever-popular chile and jalapeño peppers to lettuces to, again, any vegetable you could desire for your garden. These are organically grown by local farmers and gardeners.

Starter flowering plants are available as well. Chrysanthemums, purple coneflower and the ever-popular Russian sage, a staple of any Taos garden, are all readily available. Also available are black eyed susans, as well as many annuals, including petunias, impatiens and geraniums, in addition to many flowers I recognized but did not know the names of.

^[3]While some of these items a bit out of the ordinary, many of them are typical to most farmer’s markets. The one really unique item I found at this farmer’s market, compared to most others, is the offering of grass fed beef to order. Local ranches set up booths and you can order your various cuts of beef, raised and fed only on grass in the Taos sunshine, thereby making your red meat experience healthier, chemical free and more pleasing to the taste buds. At last count, there were three different locations at the market to order beef.

If you are in the mood for a more lasting remembrance of your visit to Taos and the Farmer’s Market, the Market sponsors also operate a booth that sells aprons, caps, hoodies, and baskets with the logo “Taos Farmer’s Market.”  Additionally, as it is situated right next door, the Taos Public Library often operates a used book sale to coincide with the market.

If all of that is not enough to make it worth the trip, every week there is some type of musical entertainment to enjoy as you stroll through the crowd. One week it was a trio of musicians playing South American music on large marimbas. The next, it was a lone singer playing the guitar serenading the crowd. Both were equally enjoyable.

^[4]But it is the ambiance of the Taos Farmer’s Market that is the best part of the experience. Old friends embrace, new friends meet.  Many arrive with a cup of coffee to simply enjoy as they wander. All who are there simply enjoy being outside in a terrific place on a sunny Saturday morning. It is an unhurried, satisfying experience, even if you come away with nothing other than the pleasure of having been there.

Read more about New Mexico campgrounds ^[5] and things to do in New Mexico.

Last 5 posts by Diane Berry

• Protecting Our Investment ^[12] - May 19th, 2013
• Ready, Get Set...Hike! ^[13] - May 12th, 2013
• From Williams Lake to Wheeler Peak? ^[14] - May 5th, 2013
• A Beautiful Spring Hike ^[15] - April 28th, 2013
• A Spring Camping Adventure ^[16] - April 21st, 2013

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