Eating fresh, locally grown food is an excellent way to boost your health, save money and help Mother Earth all at the same time. Farmers Markets offer many ways to do all three of these things in one location. If you've never been to a Farmer's Market, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially of you visit one of the established markets that has dozens of vendors.

The best time to go to a Farmer's Market is early in the day, or at lest before noon. This is when you'll get the freshest choices and the largest selection.

Do a quick walk through and check out as many booths as you can before making any purchases. This way you can make wiser choices and won't be lugging around that ten-pound bag of spuds the entire visit. Make a mental note of which stalls have the best-looking products and fairest prices.

If you're a haggler, a farmers market can be a good place to get a deal. I've become familiar with quite a few farmers at our market and often they will look at my collection of apples, onions, or beans and instead of charging me the exact amount, will just round it down to the nearest dollar or throw in a few extras. They know I'll be back and most likely will bring friends or family, so we both win.

Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. Wear pants or shorts with pockets, this way you can keep your wallet, money and keys safe and have both hands free for 'thumping' produce or hefting melons. Security is not necessarily a problem at farmer's markets, but sitting your purse on a counter and leaving it behind happens more than you think!

Take plenty of cash. Some farmer's markets are open year-round and their permanent vendors accept credit or debit cards, but most seasonal vendors and farmers do not. Credit card companies take a hefty chunk of money from sellers and many small operations cannot afford those fees, so try to be patient if they only accept cash. Some will accept personal checks, so ask if you've run out of cash!

Bring a few heavy cloth bags. This will make carrying heavy veggies much easier, as paper bags rip and plastic bags can dig into your fingers, plus they're horrible for the planet.

Research the harvest season of fruits and vegetables grown in your area. Asparagus is an early crop and plentiful in late May through early June.and is also the best time to purchase strawberries in the northern areas of the US. This is the time to buy in bulk and freeze strawberries or make jam. Rhubarb is also plentiful in June and this is why there are so many strawberry/rhubarb pies available this time of year. Early summer is the best time to stock up on peas. Look for green beans, tomatoes, summer squash, green onions and cucumbers in July. Mid to late summer is the time to get a great bargain on Blueberries and they are very easy to freeze. Late summer and early fall provides sweet corn, winter squash, pumpkins, apples and pears.

More and more organic farms are selling their wares at farmer's markets and their prices are usually lower in this setting because there are fewer overhead and transportation costs.

Also check out your local farmers market for meats, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish and baked goods. Often you will also find hand-made crafts and other items that make nice gifts for yourself or friends and family.

Most of all, have fun!

Learn more about this author, Pat Merewether.
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