Farmer's Markets

Farmer's markets are a great way to get healthy, organic food. Michael and I go to the Farmer's Market almost every week and we love it! It is one of the oldest forms of direct marketing. You meet the guy that's growing your food! You can't do that when you go to the grocery store.

Why We Love the Market

1. It is affordable. We usually use less that $40 for food between the both of us. We get tons of greens and fruit! We love fruit. We got 7 pounds of apples for $6 once. It was great.
2. You meet the farmer. If you have a question, they can answer it because they are the one that is growing their food. We talked to the persimmon guy and he told us exactly when our persimmons will be good to eat. 
3. Sometimes they give you free stuff. I go to a specific booth and they always give me a free tomato or onion. Sometimes if you go towards the end of the farmer's market, they give more free stuff because they want to get rid of their food. 
4. You can tell them how much money you have left and they will accommodate. I use this trick ALWAYS. I ask "how many zucchinis can I get for $3?" They usually give me more than I pay for because they realize I'm trying to save money as much as I can. 
5. Really good quality food. Obviously if you go earlier, you get the best quality because it hasn't been picked through. Regardless, I always find something I want. 
6. Support local farmers! You know exactly where your money is going to and supporting local farmers is the best. 
7. It's fun. Michael and I love walking around and seeing what they have. There is always someone selling beautiful flowers and a couple booths with crafts and pottery. You never know what you'll find!

To find your local farmers market: Use LocalHarvest. Look it up and research again in Google. Usually the farmer's markets have websites. Use it to see if they are open year round. Sometimes markets are closed due to the cold season and rain, but bigger populated areas will most likely have a year round market!

Do you go to the Farmer's Market? What is your favorite part about the market?

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: 
LocalHarvest 
Farmer's Market Box Picture
Fresh Local Produce Picture