One more post about buying fresh produce in the winter time here in Southwest Florida. I suppose after we've spent a few more years here I might start taking the winter growing season for granted. But it hasn't happened yet!
We visited the Immokalee Produce Market in mid-March.
The town of Immokalee is in the middle of the major produce growing area for this area and the Market is the local wholesale outlet for them. Shopping here is a little bit like visiting another country without leaving the State. (Most, if not all, of the vendors -- like the people who work on the farms -- are originally from Mexico or Central America.)
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It's not fancy. This Market is not meant to appeal to city people or tourists, but to provide a central outlet for restaurants and commercial food establishments to buy their fresh produce. Most vendors will sell smaller quantities to individuals though.
There are several acres of stalls, tents, and tarp-covered produce. Each vendor pays the market a fee to be there. It's fun to look at all the different varieties of produce (most, but not all, is locally grown). We get a good workout walking around. It's not pedestrian-friendly and you have to take care to avoid fork lifts loading up buyer' trucks. We watched one person buying several pickup loads full of cabbage! I'm guessing that restaurant served a lot of slaw.
The market is open five days a week and we found out by accident that the price of produce goes down later in the week. (We went on a Thursday.) We had picked out a pretty good-sized bagful of tomatoes and the vendor said we could have it for $4.00 or I could have the whole big boxful for the same price.
Of course we took the crate. Ours was fuller than these boxes are -- and all the tomatoes were already perfectly ripe. Our neighbors helped us eat them up. (It kind of reminded me of years ago when we used to have a garden in Oregon and were always looking for ways to give away our extra produce. That was usually zuchinni though. We could never grow too many tomatoes.)
Linking to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY. Thank you to Lady Fi, Arija, Gattina, Sandy, Sylvia and Jen.
LOL. Your last remark about Oregon, zucchini and tomatoes made me smile ;) Can hardly wait till we have ripe tomatoes in our garden.
Blessings, Aimee
Posted by: Aimee | May 07, 2015 at 08:34 PM
Your post brought back a lot of good memories of my younger days spent around Lake Okeechobee. Thank you!
Posted by: Wally | May 06, 2015 at 07:45 AM
Looks a little like our Amish produce auction here in Ohio
Posted by: Joe Todd | May 05, 2015 at 08:17 AM
it looks like a wonderful market
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | April 30, 2015 at 09:00 AM
That's pretty good. There are a surprising lack of places like this in my area of Iowa.
Posted by: Ratty | April 30, 2015 at 12:09 AM
What a deal! I can't wait till the local summer markets open
Posted by: Ramblingwoods | April 29, 2015 at 09:11 PM
How lovely to see all that fresh fruit! (Waking up to minus 2 C here, so definitely in need of warmer sight!)
Posted by: Lady Fi | April 29, 2015 at 08:35 PM
From now on until fall, we have several farmer's markets around town. Thin better than fresh produce.
Posted by: LaVoice | April 29, 2015 at 05:28 PM
Hi Sallie...just wanted to thank you for your too kind comments today...thanks so much. Hope you're enjoying some great weather down there!
Posted by: Fotolosopher | April 29, 2015 at 05:23 PM
that looks very nice and fresh. You want to grab some and taste it. :)
Posted by: NatureFootstep | April 29, 2015 at 01:41 PM
Must be wonderfully fresh!
Posted by: HAZEL | April 29, 2015 at 07:27 AM
How wonderful to have some much fresh produce so handy. Not a opportunity on the North Rim. I too remember trying to give away zucchini when I had a garden.
Posted by: Gaelyn | April 29, 2015 at 06:43 AM
We have truck farms south of Tulsa that have vegetable stands but the farms are rapidly being sold for subdivisions. Sad. I love your market.
Posted by: Yogi | April 29, 2015 at 04:21 AM
It's great to be able to buy so many different vegetables. You were lucky to get so many tomatoes. I remember the time my father had a kitchen garden at the back of our back garden. My mum preserved all kind of veggies and fruit. We had too much actually and mum gave pots away to family and friends. That must have been a lot of work.
Thanks for your visit and kind comments.
Wil, ABCW Team
Posted by: Reader Wil | April 29, 2015 at 02:21 AM
A feast for they eyes of this midwesterner, craving fresh tomatoes. The ones we are eating here taste like cardboard and we've several months to go before we have local here. You "fed" me for sure with this posting, Sallie. Thank you.
Posted by: Penny | April 28, 2015 at 09:11 PM
Sallie, I can't imagine having fresh local veggies in winter! (Or in spring for that matter!) i buy shipped heirloom tomatoes at Whole Foods for $4.99 a pound!
Posted by: Barb | April 28, 2015 at 08:37 PM
$4.00 for a case, sounds like salsa time
Posted by: Pete | April 28, 2015 at 03:12 PM
I didn't know about that market. It's a bit of a hike but not out of the way on the route home after visiting Corkscrew Swamp. Must visit it!
Posted by: Ken schneider | April 28, 2015 at 02:50 PM
it's just so yummy and fresh!! i can't wait till summer to have these choices and for my "little" garden to start producing!!!!
Posted by: Debbie | April 28, 2015 at 11:36 AM
I love these kinds of places - the produce is probably more fresh and cheaper? Enjoy your week, Sally!
Posted by: jesh stg | April 28, 2015 at 11:36 AM
We've been to Immokalee, but that was years ago and I don't remember the market. I love these markets, though! It's such a joy to shop in such places rather than the supermarkets!
Posted by: Fotolosopher | April 28, 2015 at 11:08 AM
oh, i love tomatoes... :D
Posted by: Traveling Rockhopper | April 28, 2015 at 09:38 AM
Living in central California, we too have year-round produce. Even in a drought, we feed the world. I would have a hard time if all of this abundance should disappear.
Posted by: dkzody | April 28, 2015 at 08:56 AM
It all looks very fresh!
Posted by: Halcyon | April 28, 2015 at 07:39 AM
What an outstanding market...we have nothing like this out here on the Plains of West Texas...just beautiful
and, we, too, live in the Summer House year 'round.
Posted by: bj | April 28, 2015 at 07:36 AM
We've driven through that town. It is like an international visit. Have you eaten all your tomatoes yet?
Posted by: Sharon Wagner | April 28, 2015 at 06:34 AM
Hello Sallie, I love these markets.. The fruits and veggies always look yummy.. I love the tomatoes. Great post, enjoy your day!
Posted by: Eileen | April 28, 2015 at 03:20 AM
How wonderful to have all that produce to buy. Here, in mid March at the supermarkets, we have lots of fruits and veggies to choose from, but I KNOW non of it as fresh as yours.
Posted by: Karen, Pixel Posts | April 27, 2015 at 09:44 PM
The fresh tomatoes look so fabulous, Sallie! Your are fortunate to have so much fresh produce available.
Posted by: Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti | April 27, 2015 at 08:23 PM
Yummmm What a great thing to have nearby so you can always have fresh produce!
Posted by: Sondra-SC | April 27, 2015 at 05:22 PM
How I wish we had a large market like this! Those tomatoes look perfect. I'd be making a lot of pico de gallo and adding slices on my turkey sandwiches. Oh, and salads! Yum.
Posted by: Gail | April 27, 2015 at 05:09 PM
The availability of fresh fruits and veggies must be really good there.
Worth a Thousand Words
Posted by: Photo Cache | April 27, 2015 at 04:04 PM
This would be a wonderful place to buy produce. Enjoyed your tour Sallie, thank you. Our farmer's markets will hopefully be starting soon. At least I hope so as the weather has taken a dip into the downright chilly.
Posted by: DeniseinVA | April 27, 2015 at 03:06 PM
How fortunate you are to have such a beautiful market! Wonderful photos!
Happy Week to you,
artmusedog and carol
Posted by: artmusedog and carol | April 27, 2015 at 02:40 PM
Wonderful producue, looks so fresh. Beautifully photographed.
Posted by: Jane | April 27, 2015 at 01:32 PM
a really nice way to get a bargain and share it with others, too! glad they sell to individuals as well as restaurants.
Posted by: TexWisGirl | April 27, 2015 at 01:25 PM
Oh, I do love markets like these and these do look exceptional, Sallie!! I'm ready to get my shopping basket and head to Florida!! Hope you have a great new week!!
Posted by: sylviakirk | April 27, 2015 at 01:20 PM
It all looks delightful and definitely my kind of place! I'd love a box of tomatoes - even if most of them would have to be cooked down and frozen for later use!
Posted by: Mick | April 27, 2015 at 12:57 PM
I have three tomato plants, and will probably be giving some away next fall. Love those grapefruit. Ours are coming from Texas now.
Posted by: Dianne | April 27, 2015 at 12:53 PM