Enjoy Your Local Farmers' Market

Shopping at a farmers market can be fun, and also good for you and your community. Some of the many reasons for shopping at a farmers’ market include. The freshest foods are available. You can meet the farmer who grew your food. You can save money, especially on organic produce. Farmers markets also provide a livelihood for many farmers who might not be farming without the market opportunity.

Enjoy your time at the market. Take time to browse before buying. Take time also to compare the offerings of different vendors. Try new foods. Buy something you’ve never had before. Ask the farmer the best way to enjoy it. Never cook kohlrabi? At the farmers market, a grower can probably tell you how to select and prepare it. Chat with the farmers. Getting to know the local growers or farmers is part of the fun of shopping at farmers markets. You’ll become a wiser shopper.

After shopping go straight home. Plan to bring your purchases home before running any more errands. If you leave fresh produce sitting in a hot car it can wilt.

Farmers’ markets have different days and hours of operation so check that your local market is open before you leave home to shop. Here a few additional tips for shopping at a farmers’ market.

Bring your own bag. Bring a basket or a light shopping cart. Recycle plastic bags, by bringing them with you and asking the farmers to use them instead of theirs. Keep an inexpensive cooler in your car to keep produce fresh and safe during hot weather.

Shop early. You’ll find the best selection early in the day, so try to get there when the market first opens.

Go without a firm list. This probably goes against what you’ve learned in the past, but the point of going to the farmers’ market is to get the freshest possible produce. So plan on buying whatever looks best and plan your meals around your purchase.

Teaching Children to Eat Locally

Recent concerns about E. Coli outbreaks and the ongoing debates about food preservatives and additives have resulted in consumers looking at local producers with more interest. Since it is impossible to know what pesticides were applied and the production and transportation procedures used with a piece of produce from South America, foods that are grown locally give the consumer more control over what they put into their bodies.

Most people agree that locally grown produce tastes better as the farmer has not focused on packing, shipping and shelf-life and instead has harvested his produce at the peak of freshness. The tomatoes we buy in the supermarket were most likely harvested and shipped green and ripened artificially as compared to those nice red tomatoes available at the farmer’s market or farm stand. Buying from the farmer down the road eliminates the typical 1,500 mile trek that the average food item normally travels before reaching your table. Think of the fuel costs being saved!

Another great benefit to eating locally grown foods is it helps the local economy. Farmers that sell directly to the public receive the full retail value. Keeping farmers in business means the preservation of farmland in your community.

Some people ask if they will save money by purchasing locally grown food. Unfortunately you don’t always save. The scale of production comes into play as the farmer in California may have produced 2,000 acres of peppers, compared to the local farmer with one acre.

So what does this “buy local” trend mean to you as a parent? Undoubtedly you have read about the increasing trend of childhood obesity and the need to promote healthy eating. One of the easiest ways to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is to involve them in the selection and preparation of these foods. Strolling through a farmers’ market on an early Saturday morning is great fun for kids as they take in the sights and smells. Let the bright colors of the produce attract their eye. Often there is an opportunity to taste some fresh fruit or a fun recipe featuring an in-season veggie.

Involve your child in the preparation of the fruit and vegetable – you are almost guaranteed that they will eat it, if they help make it! By purchasing directly from a farmer, you have the added bonus of showing your child how food is grown. Take a look at the tomatoes growing on the vine or the ears of corn on the stalk. Some farms offer “pick-your-own” for some crops like strawberries which makes for a memorable adventure and learning experience for the preschooler!

The other thing you will notice when you purchase your produce locally is that there are seasons for every fruit and vegetable, unlike shopping in the supermarket. Knowing that there is a short window of opportunity for enjoying that delicious sweet corn makes it taste even better when it finally hits the stands!

If you have trouble locating local markets or producers, contact the Cooperative Extension office in your county or region. In Pennsylvania you can go to http://extension.psu.edu/extmap.html to find the phone number of your closest extension office.