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Growing up in a rural area, we grew as much of our food as we could, canned and froze enough for the winter. If there was anything left over we gave it to neighbors and family, and they did much the same. Didn't have a whole lot of need for farmers' markets but flea markets were another story.

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Here in the city, things are a bit different. We may live a lot closer together but there's a good deal more distance between you and your neighbors when it comes to knowing one another. A great deal more people, but considerably less food being grown. _And the flea markets suck, mostly just live action infomercials._

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Here in my neck of the woods though, we have this thing going called the _South End Community Market_ that's doing a little something to change that. Every Saturday morning during the summer, local vendors set up in Iroquois Park for this cross between an art fair and a farmers market.

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Fresh produce, baked goods, honey, eggs, handmade crafts, plants, it's one stop shopping, neighborhood style. There's usually live music too, although sometimes the guy with the guitars has to pull double duty.

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Been trying to make it out to the park on Saturdays as often as I can, mainly to document the goings on, but the fresh bread is a tasty bonus. It's also nice to meet and talk to your neighbors and learn more about what's going on in the community.

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This past weekend was a double bonus, with the community market on Saturday and the _South Points Buy Local Fair_ on Sunday. The fair is an annual event, and basically a slightly larger version of the weekly market

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It even had a book truck, which is like a food truck but better. _Food truck for the brain._ Have always heard that history is written by the victors, so the copy of _An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States_ had to come home with me.

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At the point now where buying things from your neighbors is just community self-defense, going to keep going back until it gets too cold for it. _More later, it's well past the point of being my bedtime._