There are countless reasons for why we should buy from farmer’s markets.  The food we buy is healthier and tastier.  The money we spend supports local farmers and agriculture, and we can talk directly to the person who grew the food.  Farmer’s market produce looks homegrown because it is!  Sizes and shapes will vary because they aren’t standardized for sale to the supermarkets.  Here is what a farmer can tell you about their product:

• They know what varieties they planted.
• They know how the produce was fertilized and culitvated.
• They know what problems were encountered growing the produce.
• They know when they were harvested.

Benefits of Buying from a Farmer

The benefits of buying straight from farmers are huge!  The farmers can pick their fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak.  With store bought produce, as your food travels it can lose freshness because foods that have to spend a week on a truck are picked well before they ripen, leaving you with a less nutrient dense and less nutritious food to eat.  Some of the best tasting fruits can really only be founds at farmer’s markets or roadside stands.  You can tell the time of year by which fruits were available.  Buying from a farmer can helps us link produce with seasons.

If you don’t have an area farmers’ markets,try a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it’s a system by which you become a member of a farm by paying a seasonal membership fee, and, in exchange, you share in the farm’s harvests. By joining CSA you can get locally grown, usually organic produce for typically lower costs than you’d find in your grocery store.  Visit www.localharvest.org to find farmers’ markets and CSA’s by zip code.