Support Your Local Farmers Markets

One of my most favorite things to do on the weekend is visiting my local farmers market.

Tables overflowing with the current season’s harvest.

Fresh meat, eggs... and wildflowers in vibrant colors.

The visuals aside, there are some real perks to shopping at your local farmers market.

For one, you’re bound to find more variety than you would at your supermarket.

Traditional stores will typically carry a few types of apples and plain ol’ orange carrots.

But the farmers market?

On a recent (safe & socially distant) visit I discovered 4 types of carrots in colors ranging from purple to white and at least 7 different varieties of apples.

There’s really no better place to find fresh and unique foods than a farmers market.

Need another reason to visit?

The food is usually fresher.

There’s no long-distance shipping across the country.

No chemicals added to speed up the ripening process.

And the food hasn’t been sitting around on storage shelves waiting to be put on display.

This food is straight from the farm and you couldn’t get fresher than that unless you grew it yourself.

Also, farmers market produce is minimally processed, often grown without pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.

And the meat, eggs and cheese come from animals that are more humanely treated than those that come from the larger, mass producing agriculture groups.

That means the animals are usually grass-fed and not crammed into small cages.

But perhaps what I like best about getting food from the farmers market is you know where your food came from.

You get to meet the farmers and talk about how their food is produced.

Growing up on a farm, I feel a real kinship to folks that have made farming their passion.

With the pandemic and economy struggling right now, many local farms are hurting.

And they could really use your support.

Make a plan to visit a local market near you.

Fall a great time to pick up some apples and pumpkins, or try something new. (And don’t forget the cider!)