by Sherry Horton Blake

Created on: February 05, 2010

Keep in mind that shopping at your local farmers’ market is not the same as shopping at your local grocery store.  You cannot just make a grocery list, drive to the farmers’ market, and then walk down each row, selecting the items on your list.  This may seem like a disadvantage until you realize the many advantages you receive by shopping locally. 

Shopping at your local farmers’ market ensures that the food you buy will be fresher and, therefore, more nutritious.  You will be supporting local growers which in turn will help save family farms.  You will help decrease pollution that is caused by transporting, packaging and storing store-bound produce.  You will also help to strengthen your community.  In summary, you will become a real part of the food process rather than just a consumer.   

Therefore, it is time to rethink the way you shop!  Visit the farmers’ market without a grocery list and buy what is available, and then build your menu plan around those items.  The produce you buy will be what is in season and what is fresh out of the ground!

When shopping at the farmers’ market, it is best to arrive early; otherwise early arrivers may grab all the best buys.  If you have a chance, you might also want to drop by the market at closing time as farmers may offer some of their produce at a much lower price if they do not want to transport it back home, especially easily perishable items. 

Talk to the grower about her produce.  She can tell you how it was grown and where, as well as many other details about it.  Find out if the produce was grown organically.  Do not expect the produce to be as blemish free as the produce at the grocery store.  It is important to realize that the grocery store produce looks as good as it does because it has been sprayed with chemicals to keep off every pest and raised in chemical-laced fertilizers.  What you buy at the farmers’ market will be safer, will taste better and will be better for the environment. 

Some items at the farmers’ market may be cheaper than the same products in the grocery store; however, many will cost more.  You should realize that this is because the growers are probably not growing on a large scale, and they are not receiving subsidies to produce their food.  You will be paying the actual cost of growing  your food.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time at the market.  Dress comfortably and walk around slowly, stopping to talk with the growers and to look over each item.  It is a good idea to have coolers with ice packs in your car so that you can preserve the freshness of the items you buy. 

Take your children with you to the market.  They will learn much more about the food they eat.   The growers will be happy to answer all of their questions. 

Be willing to try new foods!  You will discover seasonal items that your family has not tried before.  Now is the time to be adventurous!

Shopping at the farmers’ market weekly can be a great family experience.  Happy shopping!

Learn more about this author, Sherry Horton Blake.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.