The growing season is upon us. So gather up your cloth bags and head for your local farmers’ market for fresh greens, herbs, fruits and vegetables.
But before you go, you may want to follow these helpful tips to get the freshest produce at the best prices:
Arrive early. Find out when your farmers’ market opens for business and arrive a few minutes ahead of time to scope out what is available for the day. This is the best way to get the choicest picks of the crop.
Scope out the prices. Do some price shopping among the vendors and see which is the freshest and cheapest. You may also want to hold off on early season veggies which are more expensive and stick with what’s abundant at the moment for the best price.
Check online prices. Some farmers markets are going virtual where you can pre-order or buy in bulk, and pick up on farmers’ market day.
Bring your own. Bags, that is. Make it green with sturdy cloth bags, a backpack or a basket. If you are traveling by bicycle you may want to put a basket in the front or back, or get saddlebags. You may also want to bring a cooler to keep your purchases fresh until you get home.
Bring cash. Some farmers will accept checks, but you will be shopping with a variety of farmers – and writing a lot of checks – if you only bring your checkbook. Not many accept debit or credit cards. Good old fashioned dollars (in small denominations) are the best.
Bring along your kids. Farmers markets today are “events” some with all day entertainment (music, jugglers, live animals exhibits, etc.) You kids will have fun – and will learn something about where their food comes from.
Chat with the farmers. Don’t be afraid to ask the farmer when the produce was picked, where the farm is located, or how the beef or pork you are about to buy were raised. Remember that just because the farmer doesn’t have the “certified organic” label doesn’t mean that the item is not organically grown. For small farms, the organic labeling is often too expensive, but you will find – if you ask – that these farmers are growing their food sustainably and with little to no pesticides.
Sample, but pay. Go with an adventuresome spirit and be prepared to try something new. But if you are not sure you’d like that strange-looking heritage tomato, or purple carrot, ask if you can buy just a sample to taste it. It will save you money in the long run if you decide that you don’t like it.
Plan meals seasonally/what’s on sale. You will save a lot of money if you plan your meals around what is in season (usually the cheapest as well). Instead of planning your meals, then shopping for ingredients, learn to menu plan the other way around: See what is available at reasonable prices, then find recipes that will use up what you purchased. The Internet is a great resource for recipes and the farmers themselves are a treasure trove of information on how to prepare unusual or heritage vegetables. Some even have photocopies of recipes on hand.
Don’t go hungry. As in supermarket shopping it is easy to over shop if you are famished. Suddenly all that kale, Brussels sprouts and bushels of apples look mighty appealing. Resist overbuying because it won’t be a bargain if it all spoils before you get a chance to eat it all.
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