There’s my breakfast on this Wednesday morning. It’s a slice of homemade pecan bread with a drizzle of honey and a few shake-shakes of grated parmesan cheese. Yeah, I can’t explain the combination, but it’s good. Soft and a little crusty from the toaster. Nutty and yeasty. Tangy and sweet washed down with a tall glass of iced water. And it probably tastes better because I’m eating it on the patio to the tune of about 65 birds hopping and chirping and foraging and tweeting in the old-fashioned way.

I bought the bread on Saturday at the Starkville Community Market, our local farmer’s market. It opened for the summer last weekend, and I enjoyed getting to check it out. I’ve been designing promotional elements for the Market this year to incorporate a new look with some of the original graphics, and I’ve been hearing some of the plans for the season and excitement from the new Market Manager. It was fun to get to see some of those plans get started for the kick-off weekend. My children decided to sleep in with the company of their grandparents, so I was able to visit the Market with just my camera and some cash in hand for must-haves. And, of course, I found some in the markets-are-more-than-veggies section. I bought us two kinds of bread — the pecan bread and a beautiful sour dough loaf, along with fresh strawberries, homemade whole wheat pasta, grape jelly, handmade soap and some all-natural citrus cleaning liquid. I also took in a culinary demonstration from one of our local chefs — a delicious strawberry & honey basil yogurt dip served with fresh bread. The kids are now convinced that they need to wake up for the adventure next Saturday morning!

Enjoy this glimpse of market finds, and I hope you’ll also enjoy the growing season in a farmer’s market in your area. In MY neck of the pond, the Starkville Community Market is open Saturday mornings from May to August at the corner of Lampkin and Jackson Streets in Downtown Starkville. See you there!