Preparing For Your Trip to the Farmers' Market

Tips for When You Are At The Farmers' Market

Keeping Everything Fresh

Preparing For Your Trip to the Farmers Market

Make sure you have a sturdy cloth bag, tote bag, a backpack or a basket. Carriers with wide bottoms are best. They prevent the produce from piling up on one another.

Bring cash - lots of small bills and change. Make sure you bring more money than you think you’ll need!

Plan on shopping early in the day to get the best pick! Growers often bring limited quantities of specialty items. Things also spoil more quickly as it gets warmer later in the day.

Plan on going home right after the market. Do not leave food in the car for hours.

Bring a cooler and bags of ice to store the food in for the ride home.

Bring a big bucket and some jugs of water in case you purchase fresh flowers.

Pack a water bottle, a hat, sunglasses, sun block and any other items to help you refresh.

Plan on taking the kids? Backpack style carriers are best for infants. Wagons may be better for older kids.

Research what is in season before going to the market. Do not just pick a recipe and shop for the ingredients, shop for what is in season and then research recipes that match what you bought.

Tips for When You Are at the Farmers' Market

Do not immediately start purchasing items. Stroll around the market leisurely, enjoy the sun and sights, speak with the farmers, and find out who they are and what they grow.

Walk around the entire market to compare prices.

Look for foods that are in abundance. See if you can make arrangements with the vendor to buy in bulk, at a discounted rate. This is perfect for canning, sauce making, etc.

Do not hesitate to ask questions! The more questions you ask about the food (i.e. When was it picked? How long was it stored?) the more knowledge you will have about the food you are about to purchase and eat.

Ask for a taste and offer to pay for it. Buying one bad peach is better than purchasing and throwing out an entire basket of peaches.

Experiment with the ugly, distorted foods! Strange looking fruits and vegetables are often bred for taste rather than visual appeal.

Ask farmers what chemicals they spray on their food. Low-spray products usually have a better price.

Seek organic growers! Their work helps the environment while also giving us safer and better-tasting food.

Do not purchase any foods that are bruised or wilted. Ask when things were picked. Corn, peas and beans lose their natural sugars the longer they’ve been picked.

As you purchase foods, put the heavier, firmer items on the bottom of your bag or basket.

Size is not everything. Smaller ears of corn, zucchini and green beans are actually sweeter.

Don’t hesitate to try new foods! Ask the farmer what is the best way to prepare the food and enjoy!

Although some foods may be higher priced than at a supermarket, you must remember that foods from a farmers’ market will be fresher and tastier.

Keeping Everything Fresh

Store foods in a cooler until you can place them in the refrigerator.

Store greens in plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Plastic storage containers are perfect for fresh berries. Don’t wash the berries before storing them as that causes them to spoil more quickly. Instead, wash them prior to serving/eating.

Keep tomatoes, garlic, onions, peaches, nectarines and apricots at room temperature.

Potatoes should be kept in the dark.