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Health & Fitness

This week at Smart Markets Oakton Farmers' Market

This Week at Our Oakton Market 
Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
Hosted by Unity of Fairfax Church 
2854 Hunter Mill Rd. 
Oakton, VA 22124 

Map

For some reason, maybe because it has felt like August for most of the month, it seems that Labor Day weekend has snuck up on me this year. The last long weekend of summer before school starts (or after, in some cases) and the life cycle settles into a new routine has always been a rite of passage at the market.

Farmers in this area are still picking summer crops, but the fall crops are creeping in—apples, summer squash, and maybe greens sooner than normal this fall—and we begin to feel that we are on the downside of the farming season. This is the time of year when the harvest has always been celebrated with a variety of rituals, some of which have their roots in our world religions. But in real life in this area these days, the harvest goes on; it just looks different.

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On the ground at a farmers’ market, we look at this time of year as the most bountiful season of the market year. And we don’t see it as an end to anything but rather the onset of gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery and some of the most colorful, flavorful and nutritious fruits and vegetables we see all year.

This is a great weekend for a picnic that incorporates all the best of the summer harvest—tomatoes, squash, corn, peaches, nectarines, peppers, and melons. As you plan your holiday weekend, think about how your family and friends can acknowledge the labor involved in bringing all this good food to you by trying even harder to put together a locally sourced celebration of our hard-working farmers.

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They pack more hours of work into six months than most of you manage over the entire year. And just because they are not seeding and picking does not mean their work for the year is over. Preparing for the next year starts even as the last crops are being picked or pulled from the soil. There is always a season for something on the farm, but rarely enough time to get it all done.

That’s something to think about as you move through the weekend enjoying your veggies, fruits, and meats that didn’t just spring from the earth—or at least not without a whole lot of help.

Check our Facebook page for details this week about what our vendors will have for you. See you at the market!

Photo by Sarah Sertic

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