(more details later, as time permits)

As I noted when I first visited my local farmer's market (which you can see <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157621631863594/">here</a> on Flickr , New Yorkers do not eat all of their meals at Starbucks or pizza joints. Nor do they buy all of their food at supermarkets or corner delis. We also buy our food at farmer's markets, where organically grown fruits, vegetables, cheese, and other items are brought from farms in nearby New Jersey and upstate New York.

The first time I visited our local market, on 97th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus, it was early in the morning -- a time I chose deliberately, because I thought the morning sunshine would some lighting effects. But most of the market stalls were hidden in the shadows of nearby tall apartment buildings, and there were hardly any people around. So, while the displays of food were interesting, there was no sense of humanity or community.