Brother Duane said "eat a peach for peace," so I did

Eat a peach, ya'll

Eat a peach for peace.

That's what Duane Allman did. In an interview shortly before his death by motorcycle in October 1971, Duane was asked in an interview what he was doing for the revolution. Replied Duane:

"There ain't no revolution, it's evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."

Eat a peach. Let the juice run down your chin.

That's what I did this morning. It was a Colorado peach from Palisade, where they grow ones almost as good as the Georgia variety. Peach State. Peachtree Street, where Margaret Mitchell stepped off a curb and was killed by a car.

When I eat a peach I think of the Allman Brothers namesake album, the last one recorded with the full original band makeup, before Duane and Barry Oakley discovered the joys of driving motorcycles in Macon, Georgia.

Eat a peach for peace.

I did a little farmers' market shopping, as I said in my previous post. The Depot Plaza was crowded with vendors and shoppers. Miller Farms out of Platteville had some good deals. I was intrigued by Miller Farms flyers announcing its fall harvest festival. From Labor Day weekend through mid-November, Miller Farms opens the gates for "harvest-your-own" days. In October, the farm has pumpkin harvesting and a haunted adventure, including a corn maze. Interesting how Front Range farms, at least those that have survived the housing development boom of the past 30 years, have gone in big for the local foods movement. Miller Farms has a big Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. It's not officially a state historic site but it does advertise that it's been around since 1949 and is "a true Colorado treasure."

In September, I am going down to Miller Farms to pick my own.

I wonder if people can shop at farmers' markets and avoid grocery stories. Some of us are having a tough time making ends meet. Grocery prices have climbed with transportation costs. Unemployment is low in Wyoming, but it's not exactly a hot market for those looking for work. Hiring is hot in the energy industry, especially in the Niobrara oil shale country of northern Colorado and southeast Wyoming. The service industry is always hiring, although jobs are barely minimum wage. The job market for professionals is static, although that's better than "awful."

I spent $30.70 at today's market and probably got enough food for the weekend. Here's what I bought:

Goat chops from Wag's Livestock in Laramie, $9.70
New potatoes from Destine Hoover's Laramie County farm, $3
15 ears of corn from LaSalle, Colo., $5
Container of Palisade peaches from Dick's Place, Cheyenne, $10
Slice of strawberry/rhubarb coffee cake from Robin's Treats, Laramie, $3

I probably should have bought steaks from Wag's but Jim Waggoner talked me into goat. I told him I'd never tried it and he replied that this was enough of a good reason to buy some. I had to agree. Jim and Sue spend their Friday afternoons and evenings at the Laramie market and then drive over the pass to Cheyenne for Saturday.

At the farmers' market work, I would have had to spend at least $100 to get through the week. Even then, I'd have to go to Albertson's for milk and other food items. I still think it's great that Community Action of Laramie County now takes credit, debit and EPT cards. And this is only second weekend for the Saturday market.

But, as the Miller Farms flyer said, "eat nutritiously, buy locally and be healthy."

Eat a peach for taste. Eat a peach for "local." Eat a peach for health.

Eat a peach for peace.