shopping at a local farmers market for organic produce

Farmers Markets are rapidly becoming more popular across the board, and more people than ever are becoming educated on the slow food movement. When people begin having more meal victories in their homes with real ingredients, the farmers and artisans continue to thrive. Phrases like ‘shop local’ and ‘shop small’ slowly become the social norm, and it’s no secret that our consumer dollars have a voice. While satisfying all of your grocery needs at a local farmers market may be a stretch, supplementing what you can from your local market is a reasonable goal. As a former vendor at my local farmer's markets and an avid supporter of shopping there FIRST, I know there are a few things that can make visits to the local market productive and stress-free for the vendor and the shopper. Here are five tips to make the local market a habit and checking there first a way of life.

Bring Cash

Nowadays, most farmers market vendors have a credit card reader or at least will accept a check. Also, most farmers and artisans are too kind to push the transaction fee onto the consumer so, ultimately it cost them money to use a card. Been there. Planning ahead and carrying cash can expedite the transaction, eliminates processing fees and sometimes paying in cash can result in negotiating down or getting a great deal by having cash on hand.

2. Designate Re-Usable Bags

The whole idea is to make more conscious decisions right? Shopping local and slow living encourages folks to slow down and be more intentional with our choices. I still have long way to go in this area but eliminating one-use plastic is something to take into consideration daily and try to do better.

3. Plan Your Grocery Store Visit the Same Day

Make the day of your local farmers market the same day as grocery store day and start at your farmers market first. Know what you are looking for and fulfill as many of the week’s grocery needs at the local market as possible. Then move on to the chain grocery store, if necessary.

4. Commit to Replacing One Product a Month with a Locally Sourced Item

Baby steps. Honestly, things taste better at the market because they ARE better for you. Fruits and vegetables from a farmers market are recently harvested and have not been transported from long distances and therefore contain more nutrients. As soon as a plant is harvested the nutritional content begins to deteriorate.

5. Meet, Conversate and Enjoy

Buying produce from the hand that harvested it gives wholesome nutrition a new meaning. Having a conversation with the person who feeds you is a great way to connect with the food you and your family will be eating. Supporting the people that put their heart, soul and hands into their harvest and product gives a more human feel to our consumerism not readily available in a retail store. Supporting your local farmers market is an important habit to make and truly brings to life the slow food movement.