Liberty Lake Farmers” Market opens

Let the leafy, green smorgasbord begin.

The Liberty Lake Farmers’ Market officially opens today at 9 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. at 1421 N. Meadowwood Lane, in the parking lot of Susan Parker’s Garden Gate Floral shop.

“We asked (the farmers) when they wanted to start holding the market, and they all said they wanted to start now,” Parker said. “I’m not sure what we’re going to have here to start with, but we will have our organic eggs and some of our crafters here.

“We could have some lettuces and herbs and bedding plants and starts.”

That’s how a farmers’ market works.

As the seasons change and the crops rotate, you will find many, varied fruits of the earth available for purchase directly from the grower.

And that’s what makes this type of market something special.

You don’t have intermediaries between you and what you eat.

You don’t have a produce manager arranging the display.

You don’t have a little spray gun on a timer misting down your produce just as you reach in the back to grab a prized cucumber.

If you wonder what type of fertilizer the farmer used to grow a bunch of basil, you have but to ask.

If you want to know how a farmer gets his or her onions to grow so sweet, ask.

If you don’t know a beefsteak from beefcake, you can go right to the source and gain enlightenment.

That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Anyone who’s ever pulled an apple off the tree and taken a big, juicy bite – or eaten a salad fresh from the garden – understands why it’s worth the effort to go to the source for produce.

Fresh produce. The fresher the better.

There’s so much to look forward to.

Fresh herbs – the kinds of herbs they always seem to have on hand for the chefs on the Food Network. Basil. Parsley. Sage. Rosemary. Dill. Coriander. Chives.

Fresh leafy greens – all the wonderful varieties of lettuce and spinach that cry out for a light vinaigrette, perhaps a bit of your favorite cheese, and a chilled plate.

As the days get longer and we get closer to the official start of summer, actual produce will begin to appear.

Asparagus will be coming soon. And green beans. And radishes.

And for those people who like their produce to bite back, peppers will begin to arrive before long – from the sweet bells to the sweet hot jalapenos or habaneras.

Before you know it, all those luscious tomatoes will start to show up, and for those people who do not live in an area where your neighbors sneak bags into the back seats of any unlocked car that stops, there will be zucchini. Lots and lots of zucchini.

Ahhh, the tastes of summer – how they’ve been missed.

Just how long the Farmers’ Market will be around is open to debate, Parker said.

“If we have a prolonged growing season, they may just want to keep it open into late September or longer,” she explained.

“It all depends on the weather and the growing season.”