Karen Dandurant photo Bill Chapfield of Eliot of Sunburst Nursery.

KITTERY, Maine – One of the best parts of summer on the Seacoast are the many local farmers markets, offering fresh, locally grown produce, flowers, and so much more.

Farmers markets offer patrons a chance to buy local, to support the economy while enjoying the bountiful fruits, vegetables and other things produced by friends and neighbors. As far as taste and freshness goes, most patrons of farmers market will agree there is absolutely no comparison to buying from bigger stores.

Kittery, Maine, resident Lisa Etzel was at the Kittery market on Sunday. However, she said she is a huge fan and often goes to the Portsmouth market or the one in York. She came with her dog Rhylee and her “almost daughter-in-law” Jennifer Agriesti, visiting from North Carolina.

“I love that these are here,” Etzel said. “I can support my communities by buying local. There is usually music and the people are so friendly. It’s a great way to shop for the freshest ingredients.”

Frank Harrison of White Thistle Farm in Candia said people coming to farmers markets not only support the local economy, but they also know exactly where their food is coming from.

“We need to know where we get our food,” Harrison said. “In those big box stores, you don’t even know what country the food comes from. I am a beekeeper and have a sugar shack. I raise all my own meats that I use and sell.”

To read the rest of this story, Click this link to the Portsmouth Herald