A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend the MetaMarket, a virtual marketplace hosted in a two-dimensional world by Parade Commerce and Consumer Packaged Goods Directory (CPGD). Essentially, it’s as if your favorite local farmers market was transported into a SIMS or Roblox-like world with only the newest, well-branded CPG companies represented.

I went to college in Boulder, Colorado, so the concept of a farmer’s market is wildly familiar and in my wheelhouse. I spent many Saturdays aimlessly wandering the booths, purchasing grand-looking bouquets, and daydreaming about the day I could afford delicious artisanal salumi and freshly squeezed green juices every day of the week. And while I still can’t afford extravagant meats, I certainly romanticize them.