Big E- New England's Great State Farmer's Market

We just got back from the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) which is paradise for local food seekers. I got some yummy cheese from Pineland Farms in Maine which, judging from the website, is quite a tourist attraction. I bought some cheese curd and onion & garlic monterey jack, and salsa jack. Their cows are (mostly) grass fed and entirely rGBH free, and live very near the dairy. Other finds- Lots of soap producers, including That Soap Guy, whose lotion we've used and like, and Vermont Soap, where we picked up about a year's supply of bars. We'll see if their Neem & Oatmeal soap will help keep the bugs away from me at the community garden.

Also viewed: the giant pumpkin judging contest. To get the little pumpkins on the scale, they shimmy a special tarp with handles under the pumpkin and a few men carry it to the scale. As the weight goes up, more men are needed. After the pumpkins get so big that 7 men aren't enough, they start using the forklift with a sling that fastens around the pumpkin. This process takes a long time so we didn't wait to see who won but it was probably the giant squash at 700 some pounds. Giant pumpkin raising is apparently quite the macho sport judging by the competitive camaraderie among the club members. We also saw a 10 year old boy's yearling heifer (young female cow) win best in show for all kinds of categories. It was a beautiful cow.

All in all, another excellent day at the Big E and I am glad this tradition has held up so well.
Little things have changed and improved, and with the exception of the silly cream puffs, eclairs, and mardigras, the organizers haven't tried to mess with tradition too much.