This little piggy went to market...

One of the benefits of cruising is the proximity to open air markets. Wherever there is a harbor there seems to be a farmer's market. This Saturday in Oriental, NC I had the opportunity to go to the farmer's market down by the free docks. When most markets are closing due to the cold fall weather, this one is still going, although slightly scaled down.

This was my bag of vegetables and fruit that I bought for $9, all of it locally grown and most of it picked that morning. The honey was local honey and I was able to have a very interesting discussion with the beekeeper. I asked him whether he was having any difficulty with the illness that is plaguing other beekeepers and has reduced the bee population by 40% this past year. He said that his 11 hives were all doing very well and that the reason so many bees were dying was that the commercial bee companies are packing millions of bees into one hive area. If one bee gets sick, they all get sick. His 11 local hives are spread out over the area and he is not having this issue.

I was also able to pick up a bag of Tim's favorite Ethiopian coffee from Nahala Roasting Company. What a treat! Not only does it taste incredible, but it is flavoring the whole boat interior with the aroma.

I'll be looking to make some butternut squash soup, stuffed acorn squash, flat apple pie, and maybe a stuffed green pepper. I love fall harvest time, especially when I get to shop next to boats.