A few weeks ago, a friend surprised me with a very valuable gift. I was ecstatic…over a dozen eggs.

She handed me twelve of the most beautiful, brownish, greenish, golden eggs I had ever seen. When I got them home, I immediately scrambled a few and enjoyed them on the spot.

I am a city girl and a grocery store shopper. I am used to pure white eggshells and lightly yellow yolks, so I was not prepared to see that these local egg yolks were sporting a deep, orangey color. They also had a richer flavor than anything I was used to tasting.

I realized that not all food is created equal.

We are blessed with an abundant food supply in America, thanks to a small army of farmers and producers who are working hard to protect our natural resources and provide everything from eggs and meat to fresh vegetables and even hardwoods and Christmas trees. Hoosier agriculture is a beautiful thing. Out here in rural Indiana, we have tremendous opportunities to support our local farms, where we have access to the freshest and tastiest food around.

No matter the method, organic or conventional, large-scale or small operations, one thing any producer will tell you is that fresh food is tasty food. And the closer it is to home, the fresher it is.

There are lots of reasons to love local food. I subscribe to a lot of them, but the one I will always go back to is flavor. Local food just tastes better.

This summer, the Linton Farmers’ Market is going to have a lot of delicious fare for you to sample. Not only will you have the chance to bring home a feast of local food to your family, you will also have the chance to talk to the people who produced it. They will be able to tell you exactly why those eggs you buy are so rich and their yolks are so orange and taste so good.

I dare you to visit the Farmers’ Market on May 31st and find out for yourself!

–Amy Lore, Linton Farmers’ Market Steering Committee