Shopping at Farmers Markets: How To Make the Most of Your Trip
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Shopping in the farmers markets should be a part of your home routine if you care about healthy and self-sustainable locally-grown foods. It’s also useful to plan the visit to the market and to prepare for it in order to make the most out of the shopping.
Visiting a local farmers market is different from shopping at a grocery store as it usually requires a bit of planning ahead before a visit. It is also recommended to take the time to learn about the market and about the individual farmers that you’re buying from. This is especially true if you’re new to the area or if the local farmer's market is new.
Understand the Seasonality of Produce
Understanding the seasonality of fruits and vegetables is key to getting the most out of your farmers market visit. Produce that is in-season is typically at its peak in terms of flavor, nutrition, and price.
Knowing what locally grown produce is in season can help you plan your trip to the farmers market and make the most of the available produce.
For example, if you are looking for fresh berries, summer is the perfect time to go to the farmers market, as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all in season.
On the other hand, if you're looking for root vegetables, the fall and winter are the best seasons. By understanding the seasonality of produce, you can take advantage of the freshest and most flavorful products at their peak.
Early Bird
It’s best to get up early and visit the market as soon as you’re able. This isn’t to say that you need to be the first one out there, since it often takes a while for the local farmers themselves to come to the market and set up their stands.
However, it’s still useful to be there early since the best fresh fruits and vegetables often get sold first and then you end up with the ones no one wanted to buy in the first place. After shopping in the same market for a while you’ll develop a routine and learn when to expect what farmer.
End Of The Day Discount
On the other hand, there are benefits from coming at the end of the work hours. In many farmers markets, this is when some vendors give out discounts in order to sell the rest of their stock before they can pack for the day.
Have in mind that this is best used for the produce that retains their quality throughout the day. This is the case for most herbs, honey, and dairy products. Take the time to investigate what are the work hours of the market and if there is a discount.
Ask Questions
It’s important to ask questions while you’re there and try to learn about the market overall and about the individual vendors one by one. The first thing you want to learn about is their business practices especially as it relates to how the food is grown and what sustainable practices they are using. This area is subject to the legal definition of what “organic” is, but it’s still good to ask.
It’s also a good idea to learn more about the market and the events that it organized. Get involved in the community and it will be rewarding in more ways than one.
Build Relationships with Vendors
Unlike in big grocery stores, you can actually create a beneficial relationship with the vendors at local farmer’s markets.
By becoming a regular customer, farmers market vendors may be more likely to offer you special deals or discounts on the products sold in their stalls.
Additionally, by getting to know the vendors, you may be able to learn more about the products they are selling, such as which items are the best produce, the freshest, or what new items they may have.
Building relationships with vendors can also give you access to unique products that may not be available to other shoppers.
To build relationships with vendors, try to visit the farmers market frequently, strike up conversations with the vendors, ask about their farming practices, and let them know you appreciate their offerings.
Bags And Baskets
In most farmers markets, many vendors don’t supply their own bags and baskets so you’ll need to bring your own reusable shopping bags. This is something that’s often overlooked by new shoppers and it can be a bit of a hustle if you don’t remember to bring them.
It’s also a way to be sure that your produce will be stored in an eco-friendly way. Paper bags are the worst way to go so investing in a cloth bag ones every couple of your years ends up working out the best for everyone. They are also sturdier than plastic ones.
Cash
It’s also useful to make sure you bring cash. Most small vendors at the market won’t have a POS terminal and nearest bank may be far away. This will save you a lot of trouble if you want to buy something but you’re not able to pay for it.
It’s also useful to bring small banknotes just to make sure you’ll be able to pay quickly and with every vendor. This is especially true if you’re coming to the market early in the morning before the vendors had the chance to receive a lot of different banknotes.
Spread The Word
When you find the market and the individual vendor that you like and that you trust, you should spread the word about their work. That’s the best way to help other than simply buying their produce. It will bring in new customers and showcase how important the market is for the community.
With the social media playing such a big role in our day to day lives, this becomes a perfect channel to do so. It will allow you to reach your friends and family and to do it in a casual and friendly manner.
Conclusion
Local farmers markets are a great place to find healthy seasonal produce for your family and connect with your community in the process. In the process, you will also be supporting local farmers and promoting healthier lives for you and your family by providing them with sustainable nutritious food.
There are a lot of them in Texas and it’s useful to prepare for shopping in one by learning about it and by taking a few organizational steps first.
It’s useful to be amongst the first visiting the market to get the fresh produce before everyone else or to come in late and get the discounts. It’s also useful to bring your own bag and to make sure you have cash. Ask questions about the market and the local produce and promote them if you think they deserve it.
Do you want to be a farmers market vendor? Here are some information.
