Here in Sacramento, summer this year struck me as being milder than the past two. The heat on most summer days remained in the 90s, and only shot past 100 on a handful of days. Yet, as we move into the early September, Mother Nature must have remembered and filled the last few days with the usual Sacramento scorching summer heat. And it was in this heat that I arrived at the Certified Farmer's Market in the parking lot at Sunrise Mall this morning.

I brought my camera along this time. Looking around through my lenses, it struck me just how colorful my local farmer's market really is. The place is filled with fresh locally grown produce, and sold by the people who grew them. To a city gal in me who is used to produce packed in plastic bags and cling wrap, the local farmer's market is like Wonderland.

There is no order in this place. Vibrant colors jostled with each other on trays placed collapsible stands. Greens, fruits, tubers, anything and everything edible fought for space as customers picked through all that incredible freshness, trying to decide which one to take home. I find myself picking up strange looking vegetables and asking about them. Sometimes the vendors tell me what to do with them; sometimes the other customers do.

I find it is almost poetry to watch sun rays bounce off the tomatoes like that. Drawn to a strawberry stand by the smell, I just have to grab some. I thought I might get some bitter gourd today, but got distracted by the pictures of the tiny eggplants and forgot all about them.

So how are farmer's market's prices compared to the grocery stores' prices? Here in Sacramento, I have found the farmers' market prices to be comparable at worst but most of the time, they are cheaper. It makes sense since we are buying from the source, and cutting out the middlemen. And since the produce are picked at their height of their season, I would think I am getting the best quality for my money. Of course, isn't it nice to know a bigger cut is going to the people who brought you that fresh salad on your dining table?