Wondering what it’s like buying your weekly groceries from a farmers market near you? I share what I’ve learned buying seasonal veggies for 10+ years and why it’s more nutritious and sustainable.
| All products featured on The Wellness Feed are independently selected by our editors for their environmental and ethical impact. However, we may earn an affiliate commission when you buy something through our retail links. |
Food is one of the great pleasures of life. Whether you’re indulging in gastronomic experiences on your next vacation or the warming aromas of a home-cooked meal, delicious food begins with good ingredients. Oftentimes, the best (and most sustainable) ingredients are found at your local farmers market.
Since I first began cooking food for myself, I’ve been an ardent fan of farmers’ markets. When I lived in New York, the farmers’ market near me was at Union Square. Now, that I’m older and live in a different city I have a rotation of markets I visit twice per week. These bi-weekly hauls of mostly seasonal, fresh produce mean that my diet is not only bursting with flavor, but also the nutrients and antioxidants that come with eating the rainbow. And, I can indulge in fun recipes that include delicious foods I don’t normally see in grocery stores like garlic scapes, figs, fresh goji berries, and lion’s mane mushrooms, all sourced locally.
As an environmentalist, it feels good to source my food from local farms knowing that it’s traveled fewer miles and has released fewer CO2 emissions to reach my plate. I also enjoy supporting organic and pesticide-free farms.
So, what exactly is it like to shop primarily from a farmers’ market near me versus a grocery store? As someone who has been shopping from both over the last 18 years or so, I’ll share changes I’ve noticed in my lifestyle, along with the whys and tips to get started yourself.
We Eat More Plant-Based Meals
Switching to a plant-based diet can reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons with a vegan diet or up to 1.5 tons for vegetarians.
“Plants give your body what it needs to help fight off infection,” says Andrea Murray, MD Anderson health education specialist. “A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system to protect you.”
I’m lucky to live close to an array of farmers’ markets happening throughout the week. I also support a small outdoor market that sources produce from the same warehouse that major grocery stores in my area do. This allows me to have an abundance of raw fruit and veggies at my disposal. A typical snack in my household might be a 32 oz of blackberries, 6 peaches sliced in a bowl, or string beans with hummus. Typical the snacks I see at grocery stores are boxed, packaged, and high in sugars or salt. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that when I have fresh produce available, I primarily eat fresh produce for my snacks. And, shopping at a farmers market near me, means that produce is primarily what I’ll see, buy, and eat.
However, I realize this level of convenience and large amount of produce is not practical for everyone. I go shopping bi-weekly because produce does not last as long as boxed, canned, or processed foods. If you’re still looking for more ways to indulge in the farm-to-table lifestyle, there are foods other than produce to source from your local farmer’s market. The farmers market near me has several bread, cheese, and condiment stalls offering fresh homemade items that will last longer than produce. And if you have the time you can freeze produce like grapes, peaches, and berries to have as nutritious snacks later on.
Farm-To-Table Tastes Better & Is More Nutritious
Local food has a shorter time between harvest and your table, and it is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased. Food imported from far-away states and countries is often older, has traveled and sits in distribution centers before it gets to your store.
Local produce vine-ripens and builds more nutrients that are better for you. For instance one study has shown local farm grown broccoli has a higher vitamin C content than store-bought broccoli shipped from across the country.
You’ve never had a peach until you’ve had a donut peach in late spring. Or a tomato until you’ve bitten into one from mid-summer’s harvest. Try cooking with fresh onions and garlic that is still purple with long stems. As grateful as I am for modern technology offering us an abundance of produce housed in air-conditioned grocery stores, food that was recently harvested tastes so much better and is better for you. And, that’s exactly what you’ll find at your local farmers market.
When eating seasonally, you won’t eat the same foods year-round. Certain foods will come in and out of season. Sometimes, I’ll freeze fruits like blueberries or pickle cucumbers. When I come across food items I don’t usually have like fennel or radishes, I’ll Google recipes or find a way to incorporate them into one of my signature meals. Either way, it’s nice to have a rotation of foods and recipes so we’re not always eating the same thing.
13 Immune Boosting Foods To Eat Now According To A Nutritionist
There’s a scientific reason why the produce at a farmers market near me tastes better and is more nutritious. “Produce from local farmers has spent more time on the vine, on the tree or in the ground, so you get better taste and more nutrients,” Melinda Cater, a dietitian at Johns Hopkins penned in a recent essay. Whereas the reverse is true for grocery stores. Produce is picked when it is unripe and treated with chemicals to ripen or picked and shipped to a controlled storage facility where it is treated with fertilizers to be stored for up to 10 months. “When it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables, the shorter the time and distance from farm to sale, the higher the levels of vitamins and minerals,”Melinda explains.
There’s Less Packaging
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste.
Worldwide we produce 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year.
When visiting the farmers’ market near me, I have to be more adamant about bringing my reusable cotton totes and produce bags. Even though items like berries or cherry tomatoes are in paper baskets, I have to return them once I reach the register. When picking out a loaf of bread, I’m handed a thin paper bag or sometimes I’ll even bring my own bag to put the bread in. It’s a nice kick in the butt to remember my bags and reduce the number of plastic shopping bags I have in my home.
8 Cotton & Recycled Totes That Are Great Alternatives to Plastic Bags
When food shopping at grocery stores, reducing single-use plastic waste and other packaging is a big motivator for where I’ll choose to shop. Not only do I carry my own reusable cotton totes and produce bags, but I also look for packaging that can be recycled. I choose sauces, oils, yogurt, and milk packaged in reusable / recyclable glass containers. I’ll purchase items like beans packaged in recyclable paper and aluminum boxes or tinned containers. If I find these items at farmers market they’re often packaged in glass jars I will reuse for when I make my own condiments or soups.
One area I’ve found it difficult to reduce waste is my pantry staples- legumes, rice, nuts, etc. Prior to the pandemic, chains like Whole Foods offered bulk sections where I could bring my own jars to fill and refill. This saved me from having to buy these items packaged in plastic bags. Unfortunately, these aren’t available at my local farmers’ markets.
Supporting Small Businesses Supports Our Health
When we buy food from local farmers, we support their livelihoods and reduce the carbon footprint of our food.
On average, food travels over 1,000 miles from the point of production to the retail store. In contrast, many farmers markets only allow vendors to sell food produced within 200 miles. Some markets only have food grown within 50 miles.
If you consciously strive to support small businesses, your local farmers are some of the most important. Farmers are stewards of our land and they grow our food. When you support small, local, and organic farms, you’re supporting an industry that is better for our planet than processed, chemical-heavy foods.
The Best Sustainable Restaurants For One Day In Philadelphia
The farmers market near me is ripe with family-owned farms. I’ll have conversations with the father and his son. I’ve laughed with a fellow mom who saved donut peaches for me because she knows how much I like them. These are families I’ve grown to know over the years and hear their stories. One story I hear (mostly because I ask) is how to support them. So, I’ve signed up for CSAs where the week’s harvest is packed and shipped to a pickup spot. I’ve learned it’s okay to buy ugly produce and that simply showing up to buy from them weekly is a great way to show my support.
How To Find A Farmers Market Near You
Eating locally can be a means of supporting farms that use more environmentally friendly production practices, such as minimizing their use of pesticides.
Similar to fresh local produce versus what is typically found in grocery stores, fresh herbs often contain higher antioxidant levels compared to processed or dried herbs.
- If you want to indulge in seasonal veggies and other local foods, there are several ways to find a local farmers market near you.
- Visit your local farms. Google ‘farms near me’ and take a road trip through the countryside and stop off at small produce stalls set up by farmers in your area.
- Visit your state government’s website. Did you know there are over 400 farmers’ markets in California? You can find one in your county using this list.
- Use the USDA Farmers’ Market Finder to find local farms and markets near you.
- Join a CSA. These are a great way to support local farms in your area and prevent food waste. The way it works is you subscribe to receive a weekly box of produce and food items. Depending on your CSA, one or several farms will pack boxes with weekly produce and food items including bread, jams, and milk. The boxes are then shipped to your home or a pick up location. This allows farmers to sell their produce rather than wasting what is looked over at farmers markets.
- Meat eater? The Good Meat Project offers resources to help you shop for meat from your local butcher, rancher, or grocery that is organically and humanely grown and processed.
