5 Things for Aug. 7: Farmers' Markets, Goat Soaps, Running Mom

One of my favorite parts of the job since becoming editor of The Granbys Patch is my weekly visit to one or both of the local farmers' markets.

Tuesdays at the YMCA and Wednesdays at the East Granby Center Shops yield interesting stories from local farmers and a wide variety of fresh, locally-crafted food and products. I've recently become a dedicated user of goat milk soap, something I still occassionally find hard to admit in public.

The style of soap, produced by a number of local farms including Lyric Hill and Griffin Farmstead among many others, has a number of benefits. It does a great job cleaning the body and nourishing the skin, it's produced locally and it lasts much longer than a conventional bar of soap.

Next time you stop by one of the local farmers' markets, pick up a bar and see if you notice the difference. Remember to keep the soap in a dry area (outside of the actual shower) when you're not using it. The soap will last much longer, and keep you cleaner, than the bar of Ivory or Irish Spring you've currently got sitting on the shower caddy.

1. It will be mostly clear and sunny today and the high temperature is 86 °F. The sky will stay clear as day moves to night, although there may be patchy fog in the overnight hours. The overnight low is 65 °F, according to the National Weather Service.

2. The newest edition of one of The Granbys Patch's most popular regular features, .

3. in her column, The Running Mom.

4. Do you log on to Facebook each day? Like The Granbys Patch on Facebook to add breaking news and the best of each day's Patch content to your feed.

5. Take a trip to the today for a chance to pick up local produce, fresh food, baked goods and more. Look for more high-quality products tomorrow at the .