I initially scooped up shares of better-for-you, attribute-driven grocer Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM) for around $35 in 2023, and thought I was well on my way to experiencing my next multibagger investment. And indeed, the stock quintupled in value over the next two years. However, since then, it has dropped by 55% from its peak.
I don’t tell this story as some “woe is me” tale, but rather to highlight that even the simplest of growth stocks — such as a grocer like Sprouts — will face major pullbacks at some point. More importantly, though, these sell-offs can often prove to be excellent buy-the-dip opportunities, provided the company’s underlying operations and growth prospects remain intact.
I believe that is the case for Sprouts Farmers Market.
The main reason I’m happy to keep adding to my winning position in Sprouts Farmers Market is the company’s unique array of offerings. Its items tend to be more health-focused than those found at chains like Kroger or Walmart, but more affordably priced than those sold at premium chains like Whole Foods.
Sprouts focuses on selling groceries with specific attributes that some customers are seeking — organic, responsibly sourced, locally sourced, kosher, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and more. With this niche focus, Sprouts aims to offer a “farmers market” experience at scale.
Here are four key reasons why Sprouts Farmers Market looks like a no-brainer stock to buy on the dip.
With 464 stores across 24 states, Sprouts is steadily marching toward its goal of becoming a national chain. It added 37 stores in 2025 and hopes to return to 10% annualized growth in store count over the medium term.
With 140 new store locations already approved in its pipeline — and an impressive track record of growth — I’m not betting against the company.
Beyond its focus on growing its store count, Sprouts’ smaller-format stores have supported its strong profitability. Its margins soared even as the company delivered 10% annualized sales growth over the last decade.
At a conference earlier this year, Chief Executive Officer Jack Sinclair said he believed the chain could triple its store count to over 1,400 in the long term. Sprouts could be a steal at today’s price if it maintains this improving profitability while it grows.
In 2018, e-commerce sales only accounted for 1% of Sprouts’ revenue. This year, they made up 16% of it, and grew by 21% compared to 2024. That booming e-commerce business is vital for the company as it increases order frequency and basket size while improving the customer experience.
Meanwhile, Sprouts-branded items now account for about 25% of sales — a figure that has grown from 16% in 2021. These private-label offerings not only carry higher margins but also enable the company to develop product innovations inspired by its customers — and now, its Sprouts Rewards loyalty program members.
Launching over 7,000 new product ideas last year, Sprouts’ private-label offerings will complement its recently launched rewards program, which should further enhance the success of the new ideas it develops. This level of product development is unusual for a grocer, and could become a “secret weapon” of sorts for the company as it tailors its new product ideas to match what members of its rewards program are requesting.
Despite its positives, the company’s valuation remains discounted. The stock plummeted by more than 50% this year following slight earnings misses (but otherwise solid operational success), and now trades at just 17 times free cash flow (FCF) and 15 times earnings, though it grew sales by 13% this year.
Not only is this a great valuation for investors to buy the stock at, it’s also a great valuation for management to repurchase shares at — and it’s doing so hand over fist. Over the last decade, Sprouts has lowered its number of shares outstanding at 4.5% annualized rate, and it has nearly $1 billion left on its current buyback authorization. In a way, it’s a win-win for investors. If the stock continues to struggle, the buybacks will be an even better deal for the company. If the stock recovers, that’s great, too.
Sitting here in Iowa (where it’s a toasty 43 degrees as I write this), I look forward to seeing a Sprouts Farmers Market closer to me than Kansas City. That said, I’m curious (and slightly worried) to see how the company performs when it expands into colder climates. The chain’s policy has been to source much of its produce locally, but it will have to perform some logistical magic to support stores higher up in the Midwest and the Northeast. While Sprouts’ distribution centers typically serve a 250-mile radius, this may be tested in the wintertime.
Currently, roughly three-quarters of its stores are located in just five states: California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Florida. Therefore, this expansion “problem” is probably a long way off, but it may be something to monitor. Ultimately, I look forward to Sprouts facing this challenge one day, and I believe it remains a no-brainer, steady-Eddie growth stock to buy on the dip.
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Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Sprouts Farmers Market. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Sprouts Farmers Market. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2028 $75 calls on Sprouts Farmers Market and short January 2028 $85 calls on Sprouts Farmers Market. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Farmers markets across the Louisville area will close for the season or switch times and locations as the crisp chill of fall draws near.
Not sure when your neighborhood farmers market closes for the rest of the year? We gathered what you need to know for 27 farmers markets in Kentucky and southern Indiana, from Crescent Hill to Corydon. A full list of Kentucky farmers markets and ways to contact them can be found at kyproud.com.
1722 Bardstown Road
The market in Louisville’s Deer Park neighborhood is open 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday through Nov. 29. Winter hours, which run from 10 a.m. to noon, run Dec. 6 through March 27, 2026. The 9 a.m. start time is set to resume April 3, 2026.
Beulah Presbyterian Church, 6704 Bardstown Road
The market is open from 3-7 p.m. Mondays through October. Vendors will then move indoors for Saturday markets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Outdoor markets are scheduled to resume in April 2026.
Crescent Hill United Methodist Church, 201 S. Peterson Ave.
The market, which runs from 3-6 p.m. on Thursdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 30.
Seasonal flowers from Bellaire Blooms at the Douglass Loop Farmers Market.
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, 2005 Douglass Blvd.
The market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Dec. 20.
Grace Evangelical Free Church, 13060 Factory Lane
The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. through Oct. 28. Winter market hours are on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 1 through March 2026.
Highview Baptist Church Greenhouse, 15201 Shelbyville Road
The market, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Sept. 27.
400 E. Gray St.
The market, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays, is scheduled to close for the season Sept. 25.
Jeffersontown Pavilion, 10434 Watterson Trail
The market, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
Courthouse Square, 100 W. Main St., La Grange
The market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
300 Snapp St., Mt. Washington
The market is scheduled to close for the season Sept. 30. Regular hours are Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Shoppers can expect a great selection of seasonal local produce, fresh meats, eggs, honey, prepared foods, baked goods, plants, and artisan crafts at the Norton Commons Farmers Market. They can also shop stores in the North Village Market Cottages when visiting.
6301 Moonseed St., Prospect
The market, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays, is scheduled to close for the season Nov. 2.
La Bravia Jenkins, right, spoke during a meeting of the Old Louisville Community Coalition as they discussed plans for the upcoming 2025 Old Louisville Farmer’s Market at the Old Louisville Visitor’s Center in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 24, 2025.
Corner of South Third Street and West Ormsby Avenue
The last market of the season is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Fresh Start Growers’ Supply, 1007 E. Jefferson Street.
The market, which runs from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 28.
3738 Lexington Road
The market, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, is scheduled to close for the season Nov. 23.
7410 Moorman Road
The market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays, is scheduled to close for the season Sept. 28.
Beargrass Christian Church, 4100 Shelbyville Road
The market, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Sept. 27.
Shelby County Fairgrounds Coots Barn, 1513 Midland Trail, Shelbyville
Weekly Saturday markets from 8 a.m. to noon are scheduled to close for the season Oct. 11.
170 W. Joe B. Hall Ave., Shepherdsville
Weekly Saturday markets from 9 a.m. to noon are scheduled to close for the season Sept. 20
St. Paul Shively Heights, 2627 Crums Lane
The market, which occurs every other Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
Iroquois Park, in the parking lot near the basketball courts and across from the children’s playground, 2120 Rundill Road
The market, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
751 Taylorsville Road, Taylorsville, beside Fresh Take Market
The market, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
California Park, 1600 St. Catherine St.
The market takes place every other Sunday from 3-7 p.m. until Oct. 5.
Westport Road Baptist Road. 9705 Westport Road
The market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, is scheduled to close for the season Oct. 25.
Farmers Markets in Southern Indiana
124 S. Mulberry St., Corydon, Indiana
The market takes place every Friday from 4-7 p.m. until Oct. 31.
Corydon New Hope Wesleyan Church, 1390 Old Highway 135 NW, Corydon, Indiana
The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Oct. 25.
Steve Fouts of Berry Best Farms’ boot and denims are seen behind baskets of tomatoes at Tuesday’s farmer’s market near Jeff High School off 10th Street. August 11, 2015
Big Four Station, 222 W. Market St., Jeffersonville, Indiana
The market is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Oct. 25. There is also a smaller version of the market at First Baptist Church, 2402 E. 10th St., each Tuesday through Oct. 28. A winter farmers market at the Big Four Station begins Nov. 1. It will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon and move inside First Presbyterian Church, 414 E. Chestnut St., starting Dec. 7.
202 E. Market St., New Albany, Indiana
The market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Oct. 4. From Oct. 11 to April 2026, the market will take place from 10 a.m. to noon.
The fifth edition of the annual Peach Market comes to Fountain Hills on Aug. 23, running for six Saturdays, through Sept. 27, featuring about 3,000 pounds of fresh peaches trucked down each week from Utah in a refrigerated semi by “Arizona Fruit Lady” Yvonne Turley. Each week, in addition to the thousands of pounds of freestone peaches, vendors will be selling peach banana bread, peach cinnamon rolls, peach smoothies, peach danishes, peach cobbler, peach doughnuts and even barbecue with peach bourbon barbecue sauce…
A staple of neighborhoods for meats, fresh vegetables and more – will California add in marijuana?
About 12% of people browse and potentially shop a Farmer’s Market on a regular basis. Usually they are pop-ups in a neighborhood with everything from local meat and fresh vegetables to vintage clothing and handcrafted products. Now the question is will California let marijuana be sold at farmers markets? A bill is going through the state legislature to allow small batch farmers and producers to sell at these venues. It could be an another step in fixing the chaos around their cannabis market.
The California cannabis industry has been struggling. With high taxes from state, regional and local governments, the businesses are burdened with high operational costs. Additionally, the state has done little or nothing to reduce the black market. This has lead some companies have gone under. Despite consumer use growing. While there has been lots of talk, this is one of the first major action. When legalization first started sweeping the country, California was the largest market. But with New York slowly getting their act together after chaotic rollout of recreational, they may lose out of being the top market.
This summer, the state legislature developed a bill to allow small producers to sell at local markets. This would be give some of the mom and pop more opportunity to reach consumers. They would only be allowed to see at markets in places like San Francisco where cannabis events are allowed by local governments. It would also cut overhead and the purchase price for customers, potentially reducing the huge black market in the state. The bill was forwarded to Governor Newsom, who is pondering whether or not to sign it and make it possible.
Governor Newson is a seasoned politician who is always looking to the future. This could be the first step in helping a popular, and for the state, profitable industry. Newsom was elected governor of California in 2018 and has stewarded the government’s action toward the industry, this could help provide some much needed relief.
Farmers markets draw shoppers throughout the D.C. area as they offer a variety of products ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat, poultry and eggs.
Arlington, Virginia-based Roots ‘n Shoots offers its microgreens at the farmers market in D.C.’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Virginia-based Pleitez Produce Farm offers tomatoes.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Vegetables offered at Mount Vernon farmers market.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Customers shopping at the farmers market.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Farmers markets typically offer a variety of products ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat, poultry and eggs.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
WTOP’s Dick Uliano reports how farmers markets in the D.C. area are vital to the local economies.
In the D.C. area, the weekend is the time for farmers markets, both big and small, as customers can peruse and purchase a variety of products ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat, poultry, eggs — and even baked goods and specialty foods.
“It always just feels like what I’m buying at the farmers market is fresher and from a local source, from a farmer who is probably within a hundred miles from here,” D.C. resident Liz Herman said while buying fresh fruits and vegetables Saturday at the farmers market in the District’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.
The Saturday market in Mount Vernon is dwarfed by the much larger farmers market held each Sunday in Dupont Circle. There are also farmers markets in Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church and throughout Northern Virginia. A large farmers market also operates on the grounds of Bethesda Elementary School each Sunday.
“Farmers markets are absolutely fantastic, for everyone who is involved,” said Sarah Sharpe, an agriculture extension agent at Virginia Tech University.
She said farmers markets help the community by offering fresh, healthy food options, adding that they’re also great for the participating farmers because they are able to get their produce to a local market, directly to the consumer.
“That produce that person is buying could have been picked that morning, and really you can’t get much fresher than that,” Sharpe said. “That income that the farmer’s receiving can then go back into that community. So it’s a whole full circle there that we’re able to support.”
People often pull up to farmers markets impulsively when passing by, but a little planning is a good idea before checking the stalls of fresh food.
“We certainly don’t want to cook our produce in the car,” Sharpe said. “You want to make sure that if you are buying any sort of meats or poultry or eggs or anything that needs to stay cold … have a way to keep that cold.”
She said that could be a cooler, a cooler bag with ice in it, or anything else that will help keep those products at a safe temperature until you’re able to get to a refrigerator or freezer.
It’s also wise to bag products separately, Sharpe said. For example, bagging meat and poultry with produce isn’t the best idea.
“We don’t want to have any cross-contamination,” Sharpe said. “So one thing you could do is to just have one grocery bag that you’re always going to put your produce in and another one that you’re just always going to put your meat and poultry in.”
The tomatoes and peaches at the farmers market may look luscious, but shoppers are urged to keep their hands to themselves.
“You want to pick up that tomato, or you want to pick up that apple and you want to feel it and feel how firm it is. And I tell people [to] think about all the other people that have also done that before you picked it up and touched it,” Sharpe said. She encourages people to not touch any produce they’re not planning to purchase.
Finally, Sharpe reminds customers to always wash fruits and vegetables.
“Whether we get it from a supermarket or a farmers market, the best thing that we can do is when we get home, especially our fruits and vegetables is just to wash it before we eat,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be any sort of special fruit or vegetable wash that we buy. Just regular good running water can get rid of a lot of any sort of organisms that may be or bacteria that may be living on our fruits and vegetables.”
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What I eat and where my food comes from are very important to me, and I know these are things many of you value as well. As much as I enjoy growing my own garden, both outdoors and indoors, I’m not as consistently skilled at keeping everything alive and thriving. So when seasonal produce is plentiful, I like to rely on my favourite farmers at local markets to keep me stocked. Finding a farmer’s stall that’s a good fit becomes much simpler with a list of crucial questions to ask your farmer at the market.
Developing relationships with the people who grow your food takes time, but is well worth the effort. When you’re beginning to explore farmers markets and local food, there are a number of ‘first date’ questions you can ask to discover whether the farmer in question is right for you and values the same things you do.
So today let’s talk about the important questions to ask your farmer at the market. Farmers and food producers are an incredible resource because they’re the ones who are growing the food! I have never met a farmer who doesn’t take pride in his or her work – and farmers are usually happy to chat with you and answer your questions, even during busy market hours.
The key to asking questions is being nice about it. A part of my creed is to flirt with farmers. Now, in this context, I don’t mean flirt with them to get them into your bed (even if it’s an organic, non-toxic bed), but it’s genuinely a good practice to be respectful, kind and courteous when asking questions about where your food comes from. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so be sweet.
Questions to Ask Your Farmer at the Market
1. What sprays/pesticides/herbicides do you use?
Some farmers markets have certain rules and restrictions about the types of farming practices they expect from their vendors. But not all do. Ask what kinds of synthetic sprays, pesticides and herbicides farmers use to grow and tend to their produce.
A meta-analysis of 343 studies concluded that organic produce is higher in antioxidants, lower in pesticide residues and lower in heavy metals than conventional. Reducing our exposure by purchasing pesticide-free fruits and veggies is a fundamental place to start.
2. What kind of pest control measures do you use? Do you spray all year or at the beginning of the season, or only as needed?
Some farmers may not use pesticides on a regular basis, but only in special circumstances when there is an infestation or maybe at the beginning of the growing season. Inquire about this, as well as the farmer’s approach to dealing with pests. Pest control is a part of farming no matter what – but methods to deal with it differ.
Do they choose certain varieties of plants that are more resistant to pests? Do they create an environment that attracts beneficial insects that eat the pests? And do they rotate crops and have other animals on the farm that deal with pests? (What’s a pest to us is dinner to another!)
3. What kind of soil do you use?
Fruits and vegetables get their nutrients from the soil – and that means a fruit or veggie is only as nourishing as the soil in which it was grown.
Great, fertile soil is its own ecosystem, with microorganisms and organisms that work together to break down and create nutrient-rich matter. Soil also works within the larger ecosystem of the farm, including the animals that fertilize or graze, the birds in the area, the water used, the sunshine, and more. A good farmer will understand this symbiotic environment and work to create soil that is nourishing.
Pesticides, monocropping and tillage all affect soil quality. Research shows that the vitamin and mineral content of our produce has declined in recent decades. An apple your grandmother ate as a child was actually more nutrient-rich than most apples available today.
Another major issue with soil is soil erosion because of our chemical farming practices. Fertile topsoil takes time to develop, but most crops aren’t given that opportunity. Scientists predict if soil degradation continues at the current rate, we’ll only have 60 years of farming left.
Scary? Yes. But thankfully, there are farmers who prioritize the integrity of their soil and make sure they create a farm environment that will support future generations.
4. Do you have any certifications?
Ask your farmer if he or she has any certifications, such as certified organic or any animal welfare certifications if the farm raises animals. These certifications will vary from country to country.
Now, normally I say that labels are for tin cans and certifications aren’t the whole story of a farm. But it’s good to know if your farmer has pursued any relevant certifications.
It’s definitely possible that a farm practices organic and biodynamic growing techniques, but can’t afford the expensive certification process. That’s why it’s equally important to ask about how they grow their food.
5. What variety of crops do you grow?
Ask your farmer about the kinds of produce they grow throughout the year and their crop rotation methods. This gives you an indication of whether they are trying to support soil fertility, as different plants take certain nutrients from the soil. Crop rotation allows the soil to rest and replenish.
Also, asking about what crops they grow tells you what you have to look forward to and if that farmer grows the types of produce you like. There is a cornucopia of fruits and veggies in the world, and maybe that farmer focuses on foods that aren’t your faves.
6. Do you use GMO seeds?
Just as the soil is important, so are the types of seeds that are planted in that soil. You know that I am not a proponent of genetically modified foods – you can learn why and how to have a conversation about them if you’re interested.
7. For animal products: How are the animals housed and treated? What are they fed? How much fresh air and exercise do they get?
Ask your farmer how they raise and treat their animals. For a full list of what questions to ask about each specific animal, check out this great resource.
8. Can I come and visit your farm?
Most farmers who are proud of what they do and have nothing to hide will be happy to welcome guests to their farms for visits and tours. But don’t show up unannounced whenever you want – ask for a scheduled visit so you know the farmer has the time to show you around when it’s convenient for them.
Remember that farming is hard work so there may be a certain time of the day that’s the best, so work around the farmer’s schedule.
9. What are your favourite ways to prepare X?
Don’t forget that farmers are a goldmine of ideas on the culinary side of things. If they are selling a fruit or vegetable that is unfamiliar to you, ask how to best prepare and use it. For veggies that you know and love, they may give you new ideas and inspiration for cooking and preparation.
They can also offer great advice about storage, preserving and fermenting, so tap into their culinary prowess.
10. Do you have a CSA program?
Community Supported Agriculture – CSA for short – is a wonderful way to support farmers and reap the benefits of the produce they grow. Basically, you purchase a share up front and then once the produce is ready, you get a weekly box for a certain number of weeks. This exposes you to seasonal fruits and veggies and may introduce you to things you’ve never thought to buy before.
Since you don’t necessarily know what will be in your box each week, it’s a great surprise and allows you to experiment with ‘cooking on the fly’. But if you are panicked by the Iron Chef-style surprise ingredient cooking, this may not be the best option for you.
Purchasing from local farmers helps to support the local economy, fuel your optimal health, and improve the environment by reducing the distance that food travels from farm to plate. Chat up your local farmers at the farmers markets and be curious and open-minded – I think you’ll be surprised at how much valuable knowledge you’ll learn.
Photo Credit: Catherine Farquharson for The UnDiet Cookbook
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Mackenzie Filson is a food & beverage writer and native Floridian. Her work has appeared in PUNCH, Delish, Kitchn, and EatingWell, amongst others. You can read more of her writing in her newsletter, Book Sommelier, where she pairs books with wine (her one party trick.)
Born in Afghanistan and raised in India, Nayeb describes 8 Cloves as a fusion of Afghan cooking styles and Indian recipes.
The menu here has a unique versatility, perhaps inspired by Nayeb’s formal culinary training at Cordon Bleu. Traditional Indian staples like samosa, curries and biryanis are accompanied by a more Americanized side of the menu, with roti bread tacos, tikka sauce fries and a new tikka-spiced fried chicken sandwich. All menu items come with Nayeb’s own culinary twist.
Try the new fried chicken sandwich, which is livened with a spicy tikka sauce.
8 Cloves
“All the recipes are my own. And everything is farm-to-table,” Nayeb says. “We really only have a 500-square-foot kitchen, so you’ll notice, there’s barely anything refrigerated. Everything is cut, prepped and served fresh on your plate.”
While 8 Cloves is certainly a more casual spot than her fine-dining venture Ame, the food is every bit as good. Savor a paneer taco wrapped in an ultra-flaky paratha roll, then sample 8 Clove’s specialty samosas, which come in sets of two and are pocketed in crispy pastry shells. For the indecisive, we suggest the thali, an all-inclusive sampler plate with curries, dipping sauces and a flaky slice of roti plated in the middle. A colorful spread of dips and sides make it a feast for the eyes as well.
Despite the setback from her vehicle accident, Nayeb remains dedicated to refining the menu, getting up early each day to experiment with new recipes and ingredients.
“I always tell my kids to follow what they want to do, but to do it well,” she says. “I realized early on that I didn’t just want to open my restaurant. I wanted to be a chef. That’s really what keeps me coming to work every day. I love cooking, yes. But even more than that, I love seeing people enjoy my food. It makes the hard work worth it.”
The 8 Cloves storefront at the Dallas Farmers Market is certainly a testament: passion tastes really good when it’s put on a plate.
8 Cloves, 920 S. Harwood St. (inside Dallas Farmers Market). Daily, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
This weekend, I’ll be waking up to one of my favorite days of the year: a government-sanctioned 25-hour Sunday. Forget birthdays, forget my anniversary; heck, forget the magic of Christmas. On Sunday, I’ll get to do a bit of time traveling as most of the United States transitions out of daylight saving time back into glorious, glorious standard time.
I may be a standard-time stan, but I’m no monster. I feel for the die-hard fans of DST. With the push of a button, or the turn of a dial, most Americans will be cleaving an hour of brightness out of their afternoons, at a time of year when days are already fast-dimming. Leaving work to a dusky sky is a bummer; a pre-dinner stroll cut short by darkness can really be the pits.
But if we all put aside our differences for just a moment, we can celebrate the fact that this weekend, nearly all Americans—regardless of where they sit on the DST love-hate spectrum—will be blessed with a 25-hour day, and that freaking rocks. If we must live in a dumb world where the dumb clocks shift twice a dumb year, let’s at least come together on the objective greatness of falling back.
I don’t want to minimize the nuisance of the time shift. Toggling back and forth twice a year is an absolute pain, and many Americans cheered when the Senate unanimously passed a proposal earlier this year to move the entire U.S. to permanent daylight saving time. But Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and the host of the podcast Choiceology—who, by the way, loathes the end of DST—told me we can all reframe the autumn clock change “as a windfall.” Sunday will contain a freebie hour to do whatever we like. Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist at Stanford, will be spending his at the farmers’ market; Ken Carter, a psychologist and self-described morning person at Emory University, told me he might chill with an extra cup of coffee and his cats. I’m planning to split my minutes between a nap and Paper Girls (the graphic novel, not the show).
An hour isn’t enough time to learn a new language or cure cancer, or even to watch the entire season finale of The Rings of Power. But a little wiggle room could help kick-start a new habit, such as a gym routine, Milkman said, especially if you make a plan, tell a friend, and stick to it. Above all, she said, “do something to bring you joy.”
Falling back, to me, is its own joy: It recoups a springtime loss, and resets the clocks to the time that’s always suited me best. It’s wicked hard to fall asleep when the light lingers past 8 or 9 p.m. I also struggle to get out of bed without a hefty dose of morning light, which has been scarce in the past few weeks. Going out for my prework run has meant a lot of stumbling around and using my phone as a crummy flashlight. If and, God willing, when we ditch the status quo, I maintain that permanent standard time >>>> permanent daylight saving time. (So maybe it’s not terrible that the DST-forever bill is now stalled in the House.)
And I gotta say, the science (pushes glasses up nose) largely backs me and my fellow standardians up. Several organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have for years wanted to do away with DST for good. “Standard time is a more natural cycle,” Pelayo told me. “In nature we fall asleep to darkness and we wake up to light.” When people spend most of their year out of sync with these rhythms, “it reduces sleep duration and quality,” says Carleara Weiss, a behavioral-sleep-medicine expert at the University at Buffalo. The onset of DST has been linked to a bump in heartattacks and strokes, and Denise Rodriguez Esquivel, a psychologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told me that our bodiesmay never fully adjust to DST. We’re just off-kilter for eight months.
For years, some researchers have argued that perma-DST would cut down on other societal woes: crime, traffic accidents, energy costs, even deer collisions. But research on the matter has produced mixed or contested results, showing that several of those benefits are modest or perhaps even nonexistent. And although sticking with DST might boost late-afternoon commerce, people might hate the shift more than they think. In the 1970s, the U.S. did a trial run of year-round DST … and it flopped. (Most of Arizona, where Rodriguez Esquivel lives, exists in permanent standard time; she told me it’s “really nice.”)
Returning to the proper state of things won’t be without its troubles. Next week will have its missed meetings, fumbled phone calls, and general grumpiness. Although springing forward is usually tougher, “fallback blues,” Weiss told me, are absolutely a thing. The change-up may be extra hard on parents of very young kids, overnight workers, and people who don’t have a safe place to sleep. “It’s a very confusing time for our brain,” Rodriguez Esquivel told me. “Just be kind to yourself.” That’s why I’ll be having two breakfasts on Sunday: one when my body says it’s time, and one when the clock does. Carter told me it doesn’t hurt to be extra accommodating of others, too. “I try to keep quiet this time of year,” he said. “It doesn’t annoy me very much. But I’m secretly amused by people like you.”
Realistically, many of us will just end up snoozing right through the bonus hour. Which is totally fine. I’m considering that plan, too. The only losers in that scenario will, alas, be my cats. They do not follow the clock changes, legislation be damned; a 25-hour day is to them a scourge if it means that I sleep in, and breakfast arrives a full hour late. In that event, they, unlike me, will eat when the clock decrees, and not a minute sooner.
On Saturday, September 3rd Bennington, Vermont will once again transform into “Garlic Town, USA” in celebration of all things garlic and agriculture! Garlic Town, USA, formerly known as the award-winning Southern Vermont Garlic & Herb Festival and produced by the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, announced that the downtown festival would return to Bennington on Labor Day Weekend this year.
Press Release –
Aug 24, 2022
BENNINGTON, Vt., August 24, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– On Saturday, Sept. 3, Bennington, Vermont will once again transform into “Garlic Town, USA” in celebration of all things garlic and agriculture!
Bennington, Vermont has become world-renowned for its annual garlic events held every year on Labor Day weekend. The town’s garlic events have been recognized as one of the top 10 garlic festivals in the world by Reuters, featured in Yankee Magazine, awarded Vermont’s Time-Honored Top 10 Fall Event.
Large areas of fenced in property to host the event, or what the organizers call “Cloves,” will be located at the former Greenberg Lot located at 321 Main Street (Clove A) and the former Bennington Station at 150 Depot Street (Clove B). The former Tuttle Lot (113 Depot Street) will host tickets and sales, the Garlic Town USA merchandise shop, and volunteer support. Attendees must purchase a ticket in order to enter either Clove all day long. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of time at www.GarlicTownUSA.com.
Always a staple at Garlic Town, USA are the vendors from around the Northeast. This year the Chamber’s Event Manager, Mikaela Lewis, says there will be over 125 vendors at the event including over a dozen garlic growers, produce vendors, arts and crafts, and over 20 food trucks and dessert carts.
The event will also welcome back two additions that are sure to please the crowds. Bands and bars. Two stages are set up, one in each Clove, and will have live performances all day alternating on each stage. The Beer and Cocktail Garlic Bar also returns. This year, like many in the past, will have Ramunto’s Pizza managing the bar.
With the amount of attendees planned, organizers have utilized parking lots outside of downtown to manage the amount of travelers coming to Bennington. Patrons of the event are strongly encouraged to park in the Ocean State Job Lot at 99 Bennington Square, Grace Christian School Lot at 104 Kocher Drive, and the State Building and Chamber of Commerce at 100 Veterans Memorial Drive. Transportation to the event will be provided free of charge.
There will be demonstrations throughout the day by chef Cara Thatch, vendors, kids’ activities and more. The “Demo Tent” will be located in the center of Clove B (Bennington Station Lot – 150 Depot Street).
The Premier Sponsors this year for the event are Coggins Auto Group and The Bank of Bennington.
