It was already blazing hot by the time I got to the Forsyth Farmers Market just after noon on Saturday, but the south end of the park was still bustling with activity.
The market is now more than 5 years old, and it’s clear it has had some far-reaching effects.
The market has transformed the shopping traditions and diets for myriad folks — and not just those of us who can afford to spend more on food.
SNAP/EBT (food stamp) recipients who shop at the market can double the value of $30 in federal nutrition benefits each week through the support of Wholesome Wave Georgia.
The market also has been critical in forging new bonds in the regional economy, with local chefs and restaurateurs joining individual consumers who are relying increasingly on fresh foods grown by nearby farmers.
The market also has brought added activity to Park Avenue. Fortunately, many shoppers arrive by foot or by bicycle, and many drivers have learned that they should park a couple of blocks away.
The walk-up window at Brighter Day Natural Foods Market only opens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday — during and just after the Forsyth Farmers Market. On my latest stop, I ordered a delicious chicken salad sandwich.
It seems likely we’ll see other ripple effects along Bull Street when there is new commercial investment in the key blocks just south of Forsyth Park.
But the most important contributions of the market are related to the ongoing developments in local food culture.
Over the years, many City Talk columns have touched on the changing ways in which consumers are buying food — from grocers, farmers and restaurants — and on Savannah’s evolution as a city for “foodies.”
I’ve never really liked the term “foodie” because it connotes a certain faddishness. We really need a better word for conveying much more fundamental questions about what we put in our bodies.
When I first started writing this column in 2000, it was sort of novel for a restaurant to list locally-sourced ingredients on a menu, but many diners today expect that. This isn’t a fad — it’s a trend with deep roots.
And with the evolution in how we think about food, we’re hearing more discussion about Savannah’s possible evolution into more of a “restaurant town” — a destination with a thriving food culture that rivals the scenes in much larger cities.
Amidst the coverage of individual restaurants and seemingly isolated developments, it can be easy to lose sight of this larger and heartening trend.
City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.