11 - To the Market

Everywhere you go in France, the Markets in towns or villages are fabulous; especially for fresh food produce: Meat, Fish, Cheese, Fruit and Vegetables. Local growers and farmers will proudly display their tempting food source, which is always good value for money. Today, I go armed with my Shopping Trolley a sensible choice - don't want my arms being pulled out of their sockets carrying heavy loads, especially on a sizzling hot day like today. Its not long before I have my load - my favourite cheese, apricots to make jam and loads of vegetables. We are both guilty of being vegaholics, loving as much variety of seasonal vegetables as possible piled high on our dinner plates, with our chosen meat or fish dish...

Close by I hear an English person talking, saying that their are some chickens for sale at today's market. I poke my nose in and say "where", I am only curious at this stage. They point me in the right direction and I am off in search - thinking , planning to have "The Conversation" to perhaps a stall holder about keeping chickens...

I am shocked when I get there, so many hundreds if not thousands of baby chick piled high; crate upon crate. The smell is worse, doesn't help that it is so hot. The chicks look exhausted, tired and no doubt thirsty as they scramble over each other for survival. I have an urge to rescue them all but I hold back on this one for now. There are also older chicks 6, 8 weeks old as well as, Turkeys, Guinea Fowl, Ducks, Geese and more. I hold my hand over my mouth as I was now gagging on the smell. I observe the customers English and French buying up at speed all varieties and carrying them away in boxes provided my the stall holder. I learn a lot by just listening in on some of the conversations from the Brits, could not join in - dare not open my mouth for fear of what might come out. I make a rapid exit without the conversation...

It was quite apparent that the majority of Poultry was being bought for eventual food source (the dinner plate). This is something else I cannot get my head around just yet. Up until now I for one have always understood the benefits of growing and rearing your own food source. Carefully grown vegetable without insecticides etc can only be of benefit. The same I feel with meat and poultry. Rearing animals for your own needs, knowing exactly what food they are eating, can only make good common sense. No colouring added to meat and definitely no pumped in water to make them look larger than they actually are. Yes, I want to know what I am eating - nothing has changed. But..but..but..could I eat my own reared chickens knowing how well they have been fed and looked after. Definitely NOT at this moment..