Ask a Farmer
Shopping your local farmer's markets
I am a big supporter of shopping your local farmer’s markets. When we made the move to Fort Worth Texas last year, one of the first things I did was scope out where weekly farmers markets were. There are so many benefits to utilizing your local farmers markets for your food.
Shopping local helps our local economy, takes out the middle man (grocery stores) and allows us to get to know where are food is coming from. It also allows us to make healthier decisions for our health and for our environment.
Tips for Shopping the Market and Questions to Ask a Farmer
Know what is in season. This will depend on where you live. Vegetables and fruits need certain climates to grow effectively. For instance, what may happily grow in Texas, USA most likely will not grow happily in Alberta, Canada. IE melons. Melons like the hot warm summers of Texas, but in Alberta our summers are short and not as hot so it is not the best environment for melons. But for those hardy vegetables, like cabbage, broccoli cauliflower, these vegetables can resist the cold temperatures that sometimes happen in Canada.
Buying in season will ensure you are getting the freshest produce and it will help to keep you costs down since these items are at an abundance and need to be sold at a competitive price. Most farmers will produce food that is best for the season and their environment.
Get to know your Farmer. If you didn’t know farmers love to talk about what they do. And why not. Farmers are very important to our lives. No farmers, no food. Farming is not for the faint of heart because weather and pests can be a challange. But those that do it have found their passions. And when you find your passion, you love to tell others about it.
Ask them questions. Such as:
Where do you get your seeds from? Do you use GMO seeds?
Do you use pesticides and herbicides? If not, what measures do you use to help protect the plants from pests?
Do you use sustainable farming practices? Such as crop rotation to help re-mineralize the soil.
If they are chicken or beef producers, you can ask them these questions:
How are the animals housed? Free range?
What do you feed them? Is the beef grass finished?
Do you use hormones, antibiotics or other pharmaceuticals?
Also ask if they do farm visits. This is a great way to really get to the know the farmer and the farm.
If you are looking for specific items, try to go early when the market opens. Chances are if you are looking for that item, so are others. Going late to the market might just open the door for some bulk deals. This saves the farmers from taking their product back home with them.
And my best tip is to try new things. If you see something you have never eaten before, ask what it is and how to prepare it at home. Give it a try, it may just be your new favourite.
Have fun exploring different markets that may close to you.
Danni