One of the reasons I look forward to the coming of spring is the return of local farmers’ markets. Depending on where you live, such a market in your area may never really shut down during the winter months, or you may be waiting until June for it to start up again. Here in my part of the world, the Grants Pass market, sited in a large parking lot in the middle of the historic downtown, has been up and running for a few weeks now. Of course, at this time of year one can’t expect to find the abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables that overflow the booths in August. Nevertheless, I love the opportunity to get a bagful of tender, fresh salad greens along with some carrots, leeks or parsnips that, with some extra care, made it through the colder months. As at so many “farmers'” markets I’ve visited in the last few years, ours is not limited just to produce, either. Strolling past the vendors this morning, I noted the now-familiar offerings of handcrafted soaps, jewelry, garden art, photo prints and log furniture. One interesting addition: a lady selling amazingly soft alpaca yarn, raw wool and knitted clothing — with two of the producers of said wool in a small enclosure nearby. Being a gardener, I’m always drawn to the half-dozen or so booths selling all manner of living plants. Specialty nurseries tempt with native species, dahlia and hosta tubers, heaths and heathers, herbs and ferns. At this time of year a host of heirloom tomato varieties beg to be tried out, along with promising starts of peppers, squash and lettuces. Most tempting of all, perhaps, are the ready-to-eat options. There have to be at least a dozen different kinds of fresh-baked breads to buy along with all manner of pies, cookies and pastries. Purveyors of fudge, hand-dipped chocolates, kettle corn and caramels compete with folks offering homemade preserves, honey, salsa and sauces. One can even find locally roasted coffee beans; wild Alaska sockeye salmon or halibut; aged cheeses; brown eggs and free-range chicken; and organically produced beef, pork and lamb. As the season progresses, more and more options appear. What I enjoy as much as all this bounty, though, is the relaxed, neighborly feel of the whole experience. Vendors and the “regulars” — buyers who appear week after week at the same time — get to know each other and their preferences. People meander about with their dogs and strollers, happy to tell you which booth sells the fabulous-looking pastry they’re nibbling or how that plant you’re considering grows for them. We enjoy these market experiences so much that we actively seek them out wherever we travel. We’ve felt that same sense of neighborliness in town squares from Palm Springs to Rhodes, Tahoe to Seattle, Eugene to Edinburgh. They are some of the best places to get a real sense of the people and the places we are visiting — as well as some of the best food in town! Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader