I have been counting the days until my local farmers market starts. I love farmers markets and go to my local one every week spring through fall. I can find everything from organic meat to artwork at the market. Why would I shop in a freezing store with artificial light when I could be walking around in the sunshine? There are hundreds of reasons to shop at a farmers market but here are some of the few I find most important.
1. Know where your food is coming from
Shopping at a farmers market allows you to actually meet the people that are growing and making your food. They can tell you exactly what the difference is between different types of plums are and most likely allow you to sample all of the different types. When I buy meat they can tell me exactly what the animal ate so I know what I'm getting.
2. Supporting local businesses
Stores only pay a few cents per pound to the farmers for their produce. When you buy from a farmers market all of that money goes to the farmer so the prices are normally cheaper for you and the farmer still gets more money per pound for produce. Farmers markets also have a ton of local artists, restaurants and other local businesses. Shopping from them is supporting your local economy, in addition you get to meet the people in your community.
3. Eating seasonally and locally
There have been many articles on the benefits of eating seasonally. When you shop at farmers markets you are only eating fruits that have been grown locally and are in season. When you eat locally the food is fresher. The produced sold at the market has normally been picked that day, as opposed to the grocery store where it's picked before it's ripe and sits in the store for days. There has been some recent controversy over which is actually more eco-friendly, but the produce traveling less of a distance to the market means less energy used to get the food to you. Why pay to have something shipped 2,000 miles when you can buy the same food locally? Eating seasonally and locally is a more sustainable way of eating and living.
4. It's fun
Going to the farmers market is an afternoon or evening out for me. I walk around, shop, catch up with friends, listen to music and have dinner all at the market. When I leave I have bread, meat, produce and maybe a few other things I need for the week. You would never get that kind of experience from a grocery store, even those that are organic or offer locally grown produce. Take your entire family and make it a fun experience for everyone!
There are a ton of websites dedicated to helping you find a farmers market in your area. Find one to go to this week. Feel free to post in the comments the local farmers markets you visit and share with the rest of us!
Further reading
http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/
10 reasons to shop are your local farmers market
1. Know where your food is coming from
Shopping at a farmers market allows you to actually meet the people that are growing and making your food. They can tell you exactly what the difference is between different types of plums are and most likely allow you to sample all of the different types. When I buy meat they can tell me exactly what the animal ate so I know what I'm getting.
2. Supporting local businesses
Stores only pay a few cents per pound to the farmers for their produce. When you buy from a farmers market all of that money goes to the farmer so the prices are normally cheaper for you and the farmer still gets more money per pound for produce. Farmers markets also have a ton of local artists, restaurants and other local businesses. Shopping from them is supporting your local economy, in addition you get to meet the people in your community.
3. Eating seasonally and locally
There have been many articles on the benefits of eating seasonally. When you shop at farmers markets you are only eating fruits that have been grown locally and are in season. When you eat locally the food is fresher. The produced sold at the market has normally been picked that day, as opposed to the grocery store where it's picked before it's ripe and sits in the store for days. There has been some recent controversy over which is actually more eco-friendly, but the produce traveling less of a distance to the market means less energy used to get the food to you. Why pay to have something shipped 2,000 miles when you can buy the same food locally? Eating seasonally and locally is a more sustainable way of eating and living.
4. It's fun
Going to the farmers market is an afternoon or evening out for me. I walk around, shop, catch up with friends, listen to music and have dinner all at the market. When I leave I have bread, meat, produce and maybe a few other things I need for the week. You would never get that kind of experience from a grocery store, even those that are organic or offer locally grown produce. Take your entire family and make it a fun experience for everyone!
There are a ton of websites dedicated to helping you find a farmers market in your area. Find one to go to this week. Feel free to post in the comments the local farmers markets you visit and share with the rest of us!
Further reading
http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/
10 reasons to shop are your local farmers market
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