A Farmers' Market Tale

Do you know about the benefits of farmers' markets? I truly believe that farmers' markets can benefit everyone involved. The local farmers can be empowered as entrepreneurs and the customers get out, get exercise, and replenish vitamin D. The customers are apt to buy more fruits and vegetables too. Of course, farmers' markets are also great family events. That's why I'm sharing a free handout about farmers' markets today. It's a great resource for your clients and is chock-full of tips and tricks for making the most of a trip to the market. Get your copy today! I love to take photos of food at farmers' markets. What can I say? It's kind of an obsession. Recently, I went to an open air farmers' market in Davis California. Did you know that that market was voted "America's Best Farmers' Market"? How cool is that?! Anyway, while I was there, I was transfixed by the color and freshness of all the foods spilling over the stands. The produce was so beautiful -- it really looked home grown and hand picked. The farmers were all so proud too. It was a moving experience to watch them selling everything to droves of people. With all that bounty, who couldn't be enticed to try something new and healthful? With that thought, inspiration was born. I knew that food and health educators could use the images of these amazing fruits and vegetables in order to promote a healthful diet and lifestyle. I snapped away with my camera and chose my best shots to turn into classy posters that we could sell in the Nutrition Education Store. The light was perfect for photographing, so I ended up having a whole bunch of winning photos to choose from. Once I picked my favorites, I used a software program to create an artistic oil painting effect. That brought me closer to the show-stopping posters I envisioned, but I wasn't quite there yet. I wracked my brain. What could make these posters perfect? Metallic paper was the answer. By taking the oil painting photos and printing them on metallic paper, the images went from "wow" to "OH WOW." I wanted these posters to be highly creative, visual, and positive. They represent a way to have truly versatile fruit and vegetable art that can be displayed in myriad ways...

• They can used in the offices of food and nutrition educators. The whole display is 24 inches X 20 inches - which is almost the size of a jumbo poster!
• They can be posted at farmer's markets. Separate photos help inspire and add color and art to the display.
• They can be part of health fairs, as either displays or giveaways (or both!).

Because I genuinely want everyone to give the farmers' market experience a try, and because trying new and fun foods is so important to a healthful lifestyle, I've kept the price of these new posters very low. That way, more people can make them a part of their lives. If you're at all interested in this new food art bundle, then get the details today. Each image is 8 inches by 10 inches and printed on metallic paper. The set contains 6 different prints, to be displayed or distributed as you see fit. Check them out! I've been feeling really inspired lately, and so the store is jam-packed with great new nutrition education materials. Some of my personal favorite new arrivals are below... By Judy Doherty, PC II and Founder of Food and Health Communications, Inc.