Marketeering

iI there is one thing that people in central Pennsylvania are good at doing, it is going to markets. The benefit of going to markets is that you can meet a lot of humble people that have worked their fingers into the Earth to provide a quality product free of contaminants and pesticides. It will also make some friends just by interacting with these people, and understand that there really is a subculture behind going to Market.

Now, some of you may think that it is odd for me to be talking about going to Market on a travel blog. However, this is also a culture blog, and I will be talking about stories from people and places. And in central Pennsylvania, this is one of the closest things to culture that we have (save the Amish).

In central Pennsylvania, there are lots of large markets that are open on various days of the week. In my hometown of York, there are three major markets; Central Market, Penn market, and Eastern Market. central Market, Penn market, and eastern Market.  Central Market is open from 7 to 3 on Tuesday Thursday and Friday, and features a lot of locally grown fruits, Agriculture, and spices. They also have a few nice cafes. Pain Market has similarities but focuses more on Antiques and old time things, and is open every Tuesday Friday and Saturday from 7 to 3. Eastern Market has a big emphasis on buying in bulk, and is open every Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Where is a flea market and Farmers Market open every weekend from about 6:30 to 3 or 4 depending on what stalls you go to. They have a big emphasis on fair trade and supporting the community.

Further away from me are Green Dragon and Roots, with Roots being open on Tuesdays and Green Dragon being open on Friday's all day. Both are run largely by the Amish, but have a lot of other individuals that come and sell their Wares. Further out is burkholder's in Renningers, which are both also open on various parts of the week. Depending on how you play your schedule, you can essentially visit a different Market within an hour drive one another every single day of the week and spend your entire day there.

If you see this sign, you'll know you're in the right area for GD.

When preparing to initiate in the market going culture, you must bear in mind timeliness and money. If you go earlier in the day there will be more products, but if you go later in the day, whatever products that are left, you will be more likely to get for a cheaper rate, as the farmers and salesman do not want their products to go to waste until the next week. For instance, I got a free pound of turnips and rhubarb when I shopped at Green Dragon because the Mennonite Farmers that were selling them running low on time and energy and trying to get home. However, one of the spice stalls cinnamon sticks ran out by noon, which meant that I had to get up closer to 6:30 to get there early enough. Whatever you do, make sure that you bring plenty of cash, and bring it in paper form. Although some Market Salesman take credit card, a majority of them rely on paper currency sales, as it is their non taxable portion of their income that they rely on.

Although there is now a growing initiative to promote local businesses and product producers such as farmers and Craftsmen, it is still a daily struggle for many more than you might think. Most of a farmer's income comes directly from the products he is able to produce, and as such, their lives are pretty much tethered to their farms and living as cheaply as possible. You can read my post on supporting local businesses to get a clearer idea of why Market culture is so important.

iI you have a growing list of products to pick up and you want to spend less but get a good quality, then I highly recommend going to a local market near you. It doesn't have to be any of the markets in York Pennsylvania, as there are plenty of markets and every corner of the globe. But, for the same reasons listed in my other post, supporting the market culture is a sure-fire way to make connections and induce happiness.