This is now my second visit to Columbia farmers market. Saturday is definitely the day to visit as…read moreit's stacked with local vendors with exceptional variety. Everything from vegetables to flower, bread, jams, and jellies to fresh made pasta, really just to many things to mention here. Come on down and see for yourself. They even have live music.

Who: Local farmers in their overalls, hippies, kids running around and the moms who chase them,…read morecollege students, and maybe even a bluegrass band. What: Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, jams, preserves, eggs, cheese, fresh cut flowers, pastas, Uprise Bakery breads, Missouri Legacy beef, and more all grown/raised/baked with love within a 55 mile radius of that very spot. Where: Behind the ARC on the corner of Ash and Clinkscales. Lots of parking, folks. When: Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon. Why: Because you love waking up to the smell of organic breakfast burritos and you deserve a Saturday morning slice of banana bread. Because you bought that canvas tote bag and by golly you want to fill it up. Because you LOVE fresh basil and some Yelper named Chelsea B. said they have the best blackberries she has EVER tasted and you want to try them, too. Because it really is fresh and local, it isn't shipped in on a diesel-fueled truck from Chile, these are nice people doing right by the world, and you want to support it. Well go you.

It's just down the street from the Columbia Farmer's Market on Saturdays, and is a bit smaller, but…read moreit's still worth a stop for fresh produce and baked goods.

From the owner: We are open on Saturday mornings from May through October. Products sold at this market are made or…read moregrown by the vendor who is selling them. All products are produced in Boone County, Missouri (or in one of the seven counties that surround Boone County). Products change throughout the season as new fruits and vegetables ripen in Mid-Missouri,

Absolutely love coming and picking the freshest vegetables and fruit. The peaches are…read moremouthwatering good. The corn so sweet and absolutely delicious. The milk is absolutely the best. You can't go wrong coming here

Very good pies and good vegetable stand. I just worry about the cleanliness of the place. Junk…read moreeverywhere, even in the new shop. Sure hope the kitchen is clean.

Cute little farmers market in downtown Quincy! Not a lot of vendors of course but you have a few…read moreselection for handmade soap, some meat vendors, a bunch of jewelry vendors, some fresh flowers and even a boba stand!

Adorable, adorable, adorable!!! I love little farmer's markets. I can't get enough of them. It's…read morealmost an addiction. I love to support the local entrepreneurs and farmers from any area. I stop at every single farmer's market I come across. While down in Quincy visiting my baby brother at college, we headed to Thyme Square Café for lunch before hitting the road to come home. When we arrived on 5th street, we parked and saw the farmers market taking place. I immediately asked my sister and brother if we could walk it before we ate and they both agreed. Thanks, guys! Its a small market but they had plenty of options of fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, crafty items, homemade artsy stuff, plants and much more. I split a crate of peaches with my sister for $10 ($5 ea.), picked up some HEATLESS jalapenos which I later that week sliced and put on a homemade pizza back at home and even grabbed a small peach pie for $3. I was very impressed with the heatless jalapenos...I had never seen anything like them before and was blown away that these exist and more so, that I liked them as much as I did. In fact, I am actually going to see if I can find some seeds and grow some at home this summer. We'll be back down in the area in May and I'm very hopeful that this market is open while we're there because I know my hubby would love it, too! Final thought...the people here were SUPER friendly. Totally loved them to pieces!

Had the opportunity to visit Shirks Country Market in Centertown, MO, and this is hands-down one of…read moremy favorite stops whenever I'm in the area! First and foremost, the deli here is nothing short of amazing. I always get the BLT, and it never disappoints. The bacon tastes incredibly fresh, and the produce on it is just as fresh. I also love to add their jalapeño cheddar cheese--so flavorful! A few jalapeños for an extra kick, and it's perfect. Another highlight for me is the bakery. The service is great and their banana bread is one of my absolute favorites--moist, tasty, and often fresh out of the oven. This market has so much to offer: * Fresh produce * Bagged candy, all packaged neatly with an Amish-style retail vibe * A variety of unique items to explore Next door, there's even a plant shop with a beautiful selection of plants, adding to the charm of this spot. The parking lot is huge, making it easy to stop by. It's handicap accessible, so there's nothing to worry about when it comes to accessibility. All in all, this place is a gem, and I truly love stopping by every chance I get!

I am not often this way, but whenever I am near Jefferson City I absolutely stop by here!…read more Today I got the "sweet balogna" with Colby, pickles, mustard and mayo on their oatmeal bread and it was really amazing, I love the thin bologna slices. Peanut butter pie was so good! The peanut butter part was light and creamy and the crust is always good in their pies! They're all always very nice, friendly and helpful, and I just love going in there. I wasn't sure if the deli would be open when I got there at 8:30, but they open at 8 with the store, so I was very happy about that.

I was a fervent Root Cellar-er when they were under the old owners and when they were located on…read moreBroadway (more on that later), but now it's on a whole 'nother level. No, literally, they have more than one level to the store. What's going on? Why can't they just stay in that basement place and call it good? Well, this new venue is bigger, and the old owner(s) also owned the Broadway Brewery, and the rumor is they are going to expand that restaurant into the basement place where they old Root Cellar was located. Plus, this new place has much more panache, and since the new downtown farmer's market started on Sundays, this new location hooks them into that whole casbah (or would it be a souk?). Anyhow, there are things in the works. Some of the things in the works: Free wi-fi for the internet deficient. There is a loading dock that they want to turn into a stage for live music acts, and the audience can hunker down in the parking lot and listen al fresco. They've already installed a cooler in the loading dock deck, where they might start stocking beer and wine and such. I told them to install some old speakers and a turntable and an amp, and I would provide a mess of vinyl, and that would attract the neo-retro folks who dig that stuff. Who knows. From the loading dock deck, you can saunter down a few stairs into a long room with a huge wooden bar, end-capped with a deli counter. So the plan is, to have sandwiches and stuff, as well as coffee, tea, etc. Perhaps they will give Uprise a run for their money? I say they should aim for a different consumer niche, since Uprise has pretty much locked-in the hipster crowd, they need to go for the blue collar crowd who appreciate all that local food/music stuff. Who knows? This could usher in a critical mass for the new North Village Arts District. Maybe it will give the "District" a run for their money. The "District" being the semi-mafioso oligarchs who control the downtown area, and who took out the benches from the sidewalks because unseemly folks were sitting in them. I guess they installed them, so they can take them out, but geez, it sounds a little draconian. For all I know the NVA District folks will do the same thing, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyhow, here is a good article on their moving, and some nice photos: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/20/root-cellar-moves-north-village-arts-district/ In addition, they have a CSA, where you can get a box of local veggies and fruits and stuff for like $30 or so. They give you a little print out with info on where everything came from, and some recipes that include some of the foods. You pay by the week, but to guarantee a box, you should sign up. The new owners are real nice, and if you are looking for suggestions on what is good or interesting, they are very helpful.

Great little find in downtown! I read online that this place has THE best chicken available around…read moretown and boy was I correct! At first I was sticker shocked at the price, but after realizing that I'm supporting local agriculture as well as, having the closest thing to fresh here -- totally worth it!!! I wish it could fresh and not frozen, but hey not complaining! Their veggies are delish and fresh, too! Can't beat local arugula from MO! Definitely check it out!

This is the spot of the farm for the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, whose office is…read moreactually at 214 Saint Joseph St. So it's where the dirt is. Literally and figuratively. On Mon/Wed/Fri they have a vegetable sale, 4-8ish, or until they run out. They have herbs, squash, greens, etc. And it's cheap. They even take EBT. The farm also has chickens on site, and they occasionally give classes, recently (summer 2010) they had a demonstration for culling chickens. Not for the urban squeamish. There is also a lot of composting going on, and they have that worm-composting, too, and classes on all of this stuff. I like this place, because the only other farmer's markets are way outside of downtown, and since I live downtown I can actually walk to this one in 15 minutes. The folks are nice as can be, and it's a great resource for us city folks to learn more about where our food may come from, how it goes from manure to our plate (sorry for the imagary there...),