South Bend Farmer's Market, and Purple Porch co-op

It's usually quite cold at the start of the spring semester, so I spend a good deal of time thinking about keeping myself warm and well-fed. There are no shortage of grocery stores in the area, but what if you want to sample local produce?

A great place to start is the South Bend Farmer's Market, a covered market open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year, featuring local farmers, craftspeople, bakers, coffee-roasters, and much more. Saturday morning is the best time to go, especially from early February on. There's a great cafe on-site, serving seriously good breakfast food. The farmer's market is on Northside Blvd about 2 miles south of campus.

Another great option for locally produced food is the Purple Porch co-op, open every day. Anyone can shop there (not just co-op members), and a visit there will give you a great sense of the fecundity of the Northern Indiana/Southern Michigan soil. Like the farmer's market, Purple Porch has a nice cafe, serving excellent local coffee and freshly made local pastries as well as some more substantial food options. The co-op is located on Hill St about a mile and a half south of campus.