I love shopping at farmer’s markets. I love the produce, variety, atmosphere, and getting to ask specific questions about the food I’m buying from the people growing/raising it. I also love knowing that what I’m eating is the freshest it can be and that I’m supporting local farmers and reducing our reliance on fuel for transporting food.
I do have to say that I’m a little discouraged to see so many distributors of food at my local farmer’s markets, instead of actual farmers. Sometimes it’s obvious, like when they’re selling bananas and mangoes, but other times it’s not. So if you’re shopping at a farmer’s market, make sure to ask where the food is grown. And how as well. Just because it’s not certified organic, doesn’t mean they use loads of pesticides and fertilizers. So ask.
Even better than farmer’s markets are actual farms. Last year, a neighbor of mine introduced me to a farm about 20 minutes from us that grows a great variety of organic produce that they sell each weekend in their barn. They also have produce you can pick yourself, like raspberries and strawberries. What a great way for children (and adults too!) to connect to their food and better understand that the eggs they ate for breakfast today came from a chicken like the one they see running around.
If you’d like to shop at a farmer’s market but aren’t sure how to find one, try checking localharvest.org. Enter your zipcode for a list of farmer’s markets near you.
