Shopping at the Farmer's Market
I am so excited about this weekend! It is the opening day of our local Farmer’s Market. I am a big proponent of eating food within its season and buying locally. You may know that I am also big on eating close to a Paleo Diet, or at least a low grain and gluten free diet. Well, the Farmer’s Market is one of the best places you can shop to do just that!
The benefits of shopping at a Farmer’s Market are numerous. First and foremost, the food is in season. Fruits and vegetables in season are much more supportive of not only your health, but also the health of the planet. It is typical for most fruits and vegetables to be transported over long distances before they reach your local supermarket. That sometimes means they travel up to 2500 miles across roads and railways using up large quantities of precious fossil fuels. Most produce is picked immature, to assure they don’t spoil on the way. Produce picked in this manner do not contain the same high levels of nutrients as fresh product!
Of course, one of the best reasons to shop locally is the TASTE! There is nothing like a fresh tomato, right? Food that is fresh, tastes better! You are also more likely to buy organic. Why organic? There have been several studies that show fruits and vegetables grown organically contain significantly more nutrients such as vitamin c, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and other essential phytonutrients. And once again, you help the planet by supporting agriculture that increases the health of our soil, which in turn grows more vitamin and mineral rich foods.
Not to mention, when you buy organic, you are protecting your family and yourself from harmful pesticides that can cause a copious amount of illness and disease. Eliminating toxins is the first step in becoming healthy and staying healthy!
Finally, shopping at your local Farmer’s Market has a wonderful social benefit that improves our mental health. In our fast-paced, over stimulated, cubical lifestyles, we don’t often get that social connection we all need. Spending the time in a small social atmosphere, running into friends, and making new ones, can help your mental health. Viewing the vibrant colors of fruit, vegetables and fresh flowers can stimulate your senses and give you a sense of well-being. You might even try a new food that you have hesitated to try before because someone is offering you a free taste!
It doesn’t seem to matter if you live in a city like San Francisco, a rural area, or a subdivision; there is usually a Farmer’s Market close to you! I see them springing up all over the place.
I would love for you to share with me your experience at your local market and the foods you look for and love! Everyone who shares (in the comments) will receive a $5 coupon from OVitaminPro.com for any future purchase.
I shop at farmer’s markets here in Las Vegas (yes! there are farmer’s markets in Vegas!). They are a health-granting bargain, and you buy from people who care about the environment. I spend a few dollars on fresh veggies and fruit, far less than in the stores, and know I’m getting the freshest stuff available next to growing my own. If you’re in Vegas or Henderson, check out the Friday Farmer’s Market near the Paseo Verde Library in Henderson. They have several fruit/veggie stands, artisan bread from the same people who supply the Venetian and Bellagio (top of the line and absolutely DELISH!), homemade salsas, and more. It runs from 10 – 4 every Friday – be sure to grab some of the best strawberries you’ll ever have!
The article is great but if there isn’t a farmer’s market near you, join (or start) a CSA.
I love the farmer’s market with all of the fresh produce, yummy gluten free breads, and live local music. It’s a great family event!
I shop at my local farmer’s market here in Athens, GA and love the fresh greens and veggies that I buy all spring, summer and into the fall. We are nutritarians so live on the high nutritious greens, beans, legumes, other vegetables and fruit. Never felt better in our lives and plan to live healthily into our 100’s.
I shop at the WEst Allis Farmers Market in WI, where I grew up 67 years ago! They sell all the seasonal variety of foods & now have branched out to cheese, meat, breads, soup and some home made items. You must grow what you sell. This market is open May-October. Now we have a Winter Market held at the WI STate Fair Grounds. This market has an infinite number of other items to sell, which they do when the outdoors market is closed. What a wonderful experience for kids & adults…you can usually find me there on one of the 3 days the outdoors market is open. Fresh is best!
I ALSO AM A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE FARMER’S MARKET AND EATING LOCALLY. I ALSO BELONG TO A CSA WHICH PROVIDES WEEKLY LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE THAT HAS JUST BEEN HARVESTED. IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT. I EAT ALL ORGANICALLY GROWN PRODUCE GROWN HERE IN UPSTATE NY. IT IS EXCITING TO SEE MORE PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THE BENEFITS.
I love shopping in our many farmers markets here in San Francisco. It brings the country into the city as I get to interact with the farmers themselves and ask questions about their produce. Of course just looking at the freshness of the produce is a treat for the eyes – just vibrant energy!
My husband LOVES to shop at our local farmer’s market here in Atlanta for all the reasons you mentioned . He is the person who prepares all the food in our house. For him, the whole experience of seeing, smelling and touching the produce is thrilling! We recently returned from Italy where everything we ate was seasonal. The fresh taste including their use of fresh herbs, was delightful! The shortest amount of time from harvest to plate provides the biggest nutritional punch. I am sure I have read somewhere that whichever fruits and veggies grow at a given time of the year and in a given climate, possibly contain the vitamins and nutrients your body needs at that time of year and in that climate. Would love to know more about this subject.
The joy of shopping at farmers markets is especially appreciated living here in the suburbs of the great Garden State! I can easily find one nearly every day of the week. Besides the wonderful variety of fresh produce, I love to buy grass fed beef and artisan cheese. Always grateful for the opportunity to nourish the body and soul at Farmers Markets!
The Farmers Market gives us many reasons to shop there: they are local, you can buy fresher, and eat and freeze or can seasonal to have fresh food in winter. The market provides a venue for the farmers to spread the wealth of healthier eating to more people, and it also provides jobs for others who work for the farmers. It is a lifestyle that goes way beyond just shopping there; you get to know the people, share recipes and ideas, and realize how cool it is to be part of this awesome healthier living that provides us with tastier and better food, all round.
I love buying zucchini at our local farmers market. Those nice big fresh zucchini make the pitiful little banana-sized ones at the grocery pale in comparison!
I too enjoy the Farmers Market. Unfortunately in my area (los Angeles) a lot of the produce is brought in several 100 of miles away including Mexico. The local fresh produce is a treasure and you have to ask alot of questions to make sure it is local and organic, grown with out chemicals. The newsest lingo is “Sustainable”, they claim they use the minimum amount of petides to sustain the plant production. It is very difficult to find fruit and veggies that have the aroma and full taste of years ago.
Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, is a great read if you haven’t read it already. Since I’m not really up to growing all my own food at this time, Farmer’s Markets are wonderful. I agree, eating local, in season, fresh foods is ideal. We’re blessed to live in an agricultural community where there are 7 Farmer’s Markets (different days of the week) within a 25 mile radius! Most of them also offer music as well, a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning, or late afternoon/evening midweek.
Wow! Paula, I would think the Los Angeles area would be full of great markets. You are right though, you do have to ask the right questions!
Thanks for the post Crista!
Thanks for the post Judith!
Thanks for the post Mary!
Our ancestry dictates that we eat what is in season. We are hunter gathers by out genetic makeup. This is one of the reasons eating what is in season is so important. Thanks for the post Holly. I love hearing about everyone’s experiences at their Farmer’s Markets!
Thank you Regina!
Thanks again for the post!
Thanks Arnelle! Keep up the great food choices!
Thanks Katrina!
This is great to know! Thanks Allison!
Sounds Yummy! Thanks for sharing Ally!
Here in Santa Cruz, we have Farmer’s Markets all year round. My favorite is the Santa Cruz Westside market – it’s like going for a stroll. I often see people I know there and the local farmers are fun to talk to. I always try to eat as much local and fresh food as I can.
Here in the Phoenix area we are blessed with some terrific farmers markets that operate seven days a week. You can’t beat the in-season vegetables and fruits that are so fresh, they’re picked earlier in the morning or the day before. Grass-fed beef, organic chicken and eggs from pastured hens, lamb and a variety of meats are available from animals who are fed their native diets and are not artificially fattened up with genetically modified grains. We even have a fellow from NM who fishes in Alaska and sells the freshest wild caught salmon and halibut from pristine waters. If you want the freshest, most wholesome, pesticide-free food available, then your local farmer’s market is certainly the way to go!
I love farmer’s markets and always research for ones if I am traveling. We are lucky – in California there are tons of them with a bouty of freshest produce delivering the best of nutrients to our often times undernourished bods. Other places markets I enjoyed visiting is the Pikes market in Seattle, a market in Nannterre, France or the one in Tuscany. Each of them has their unique flavor. Like I never ate a fresher moazzarella than the one in Italy or never saw so many items of sea food as in Italy. The Times square market in New York is a treasure – the breads with a fresh crust… Yamm! Can’t leave without even just for the atmosphere! It’s a pleasure to cook with fresh produce that is plumpted with the natural juices. But today I bought half a kilo of the sweetest, yellow plums in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan!
Thanks Galina, for sharing your experiences in Farmer’s Market across the world! I used to live in Spain and l loved shopping daily in the Farmer’s Market in Valencia!
Wow, Alexis! How lucky to have such choices and to have them 7 days a week!
We have Farmers’Markets dotted all around the Hudson Valley here in NY. Our closest is only open on Thursdays in a small village a few miles away. The tomatoes are mouthwatering and the corn is always sweet. The veggies and fruit of the market bring back memories of the gardening we used to do and the fruit trees we used to own.
Thanks for sharing Cliare!