Summer is officially here, which means farmers market season is in full swing. Shopping at a farmers market comes with a lot of benefits for both local businesses and your personal health, and there are many ways you can make the most of your local markets’ offerings.
Farmers markets often have a variety of locally grown produce and other locally made products like honey and jams or jellies, so consider adding a Saturday or Sunday morning stop to your weekend agenda. Eating fresh produce already comes with a lot of health benefits, but if you’re getting your produce fresh from a local farmers market, it can have even more benefits. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, the pros to farmers markets include:
- Preserving America’s rural livelihoods and farmland.
- Stimulating local economies and supporting healthy communities.
- Increasing access to fresh, nutritious food.
- Promoting sustainability through educating customers.
Whether you’re new to visiting the farmers market or a regular shopper, there are plenty of ways you can take advantage of farmers market season to boost your health and support local farmers and community members. Here are some ways you can get the most out of your local farmers market this summer.
- Buy most (if not all) of your produce at a farmers market.
Besides the appeal of potentially cheaper prices, shopping for fresh produce at a farmers market usually means meeting the people who grow the food you’re buying. The produce is often locally grown, fresher, and healthier than the produce you might buy in a larger grocery store. - Find out what else your farmers market has to offer.
If you can, check the list of vendors at your local market or take a stroll around to see what everyone is selling. Many farmers markets have people selling canned and preserved foods, honey, soap, and even bread and flowers. - Use your purchases in different recipes.
Whether you create your own recipes or find them online, find healthy ways to use the produce and other food you buy from the farmers market. If you have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, consider hosting a dinner party for your loved ones to show off your farmers market haul. - Consider working for a vendor or even selling your own goods.
If you want more out of the farmers market experience than being a customer, talk to local farmers or producers and see if they need or want help selling their products. If you make farmers market-worthy products, then you might want to look into the steps you can take to start selling at your local farmers market.
If you don’t have a local farmers market, that’s okay! Consider taking a road trip to the nearest city with one if you can or find out who to talk to in your community to start one. You can find more resources about farmers markets at farmersmarketcoalition.org/education.
