What's in season right now? Ask a farmer.

Remember visits to your grandma's farm as a kid, pulling a carrot right from the ground and eating it even if it had a little dirt on it? Remember how good the sweet, fresh flavour tasted as you crunched into it?

This weekend, take a short family field trip to St. Norbert Farmers' Market and have a fresh-from-the-ground carrot again or some other fresh-picked fruit or veggies.

One of the benefits of buying produce from local farms is…well… it's local. Rather than being picked last week and trucked hundreds of miles into Canada, that pepper was picked yesterday right from a Manitoba field.

You are also supporting local farmers who often don't have the means to mass produce for the big grocery store chains.

There's lots going on at the bustling outdoor market. Aside from fresh local produce, baking, flowers and crafts, there is live music, kids' activities, and conversations between shopper and farmer.

This is also an opportunity to teach kids about food — real food and where it comes from.

Walking through a farmers market, you can stop and talk to the farmers. They have suggestions on cooking and preparing their produce. Even if you see something new, like a fiddlehead, you can ask "what are these and how do I cook them?"

Right now, okra is in season. What is okra? It is a long edible seed pod that is high in fibre, helps with digestion and reduces toxins in your body. Quince — a golden-yellow fruit that looks like a pear — is also in season. Why not just call it a pear? Well, that’s something you can ask your local farmer.

St. Norbert Farmer's Market is open Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.