The first little piggy may have really been onto something when he went to the market. As the official season is upon us here in North Kitsap and Port Gamble, Kingston, Indianola and, yes, maybe even Poulsbo prepare to roll out their handmade, organically-grown red carpets to locals and visitors, we hope everyone will take time to check them out.

Farmers markets are a tie to the past, the old days of shopping when everyone knew everyone else, visited and just had a grand time buying and selling wares in a scenic outdoor venue.

While Seattle’s Pike Place might get a lot of publicity internationally, locally, North Kitsap’s gatherings leave it in the dust.

Why fight the traffic, crowds, questionable vendors in a dirty atmosphere when you can enjoy a beautiful day right here and support your friends, neighbors and the economy of Kitsap County?

There’s an old saying about shopping your hometown first.

Well, the way we see it, the North Kitsap community is our hometown and has more to offer than anywhere else in terms of goods and services.

While the scope of our farmers’ markets have certainly changed over the years — from chickens, pigs and veggies to handwoven baskets, garden pavers and artwork — the idea of neighbors helping neighbors remains.

As the world takes a turn for the worse, it’s nice to know that our little corner of it is still moving in the right direction and that we live in a place where small town living still stands for something.