11 Good Reasons to Shop at a Farmers' Market

by Susan Werth

Morton Grove Farmers’ Market Manager and Treasurer / Bookkeeper

I love my farmers’ market and am getting a bit teary-eyed now that the weather is cooler and the days are a bit shorter. Here in Chicagoland, the season is pretty darn short. But have no fear, there is still plenty of fall produce to keep me coming back. As an ode to my farmers’ market, I came up with a Top-11 list of why one should shop there. I tried to limit to 10 but couldn’t stop there!

1. Local is fresher, tastes better, and is healthier

This could be 3 good reasons! Local produce is usually picked the morning of or the night before it is on display at the Farmers’ Market. It is picked when ripe, so it will have more flavor compared to supermarket varieties, which are picked early and ripen during shipment.

Eating freshly picked produce is also healthier! Commercial produce can sometimes take weeks before it is picked, packed, shipped, and unpacked onto your grocery store shelves.

2. Local is better for the environment

Supermarket produce can be shipped from thousands of miles away, incurring large fossil fuel waste. In larger communities, many farmers support several local markets on a single day, making the trek from their farms less wasteful. Also, local farmers use less packaging to pack and ship the produce to its final destination.

3. Support your local farmers

Putting your dollars into the hands of local farmers helps support local agriculture.

4. Talk to your farmer about the food and how it is grown.

Most farmers are open to discussing their farming practices and many love talking about their farm. You will be surprised at how many farms do not spray pesticides or have organic “practices” but cannot afford the hefty fee and operational costs to become USDA Certified Organic.

It can also be an educational experience – not many people know that eggs can taste and look differently depending on the time of year and availability of certain foods and nutrients for the hens. The same goes for honey – the bees will pollinate different varieties of flowers at different times of the year. Have you ever had a honey tasting from your honey farmer?

5. Be in touch with your community – community groups

Many farmers’ markets allow community groups, such as local libraries, businesses, and organizations to set up booths in order to give awareness on all sorts of topics. For instance, the library can give out books they no longer want to keep, the local gardening club can answer questions on gardening, and the park district can give free fitness demonstrations.

6. Entertainment

Where else can you have free entertainment while you shop? Music, dance and marital arts demonstrations, face painting, and balloon art are some of the many visual gems found at a farmers’ market. Many times the entertainers do not charge a fee for performing and this adds to the local, community feel.

7. Education

Farmers’ markets are the perfect place for experts to showcase their knowledge. Whether it be a vermicomposting, composting, gardening, nutrition, or a wellness expert, you can usually find someone of interest.

8. Greater or unique varieties

The farmers’ market is a great place to see, touch, and smell different and unique varieties of foods. Many times, they can give you tips on how to prepare a dish with that food. It can be fun to come home with orange, green, or purple cauliflower.

9. Great for the Whole Family

Markets make it friendly for the whole family. There can be kiddie booths filled with arts and crafts and face painting, wagons available to rent, or Halloween costume contests. Of course, the kids can walk around and sample some home-grown goodies

10. Hang with your Neighbors

It is likely you will run into friends, neighbors, and acquaintances at your local farmers’ market. Usually, this is a good thing - and another way to connect with your community.

11. Creative Crafts and Prepared Foods

Many markets have talented artisans who create non-edible merchandise, such as lotions, jewelry, wood products, clothing and accessories. Equally as creative are some of the food options offered. Confectionary delights are popular, but you may also find salsa, hummus, and even gourmet pet food. They all make terrific gifts or are a great addition to your evening spread.

In Summary,

Where else can you can shop for your evening feast, buy a tamale, a mango on a stick, a gluten-free cupcake, and a cup of coffee, while kicking back with a friend and listening to some Irish fiddle music? I’m not sure about you, but my local farmers’ market has all of this and more.