Tips For Shopping At The Farmers’ Market

I love this time of year, because the farmers’ market start to open back up and are flooded with piles of fresh produce, handmade cheeses, breads, etc.  It gives you that self-righteous European-inspired connections with your food.  So today I thought I’d offer up my favorite tips for shopping at the Farmer’s market.

It also allows you to try varieties that the grocery stores just don’t carry, or artisan recipes that only small-batch baking and preparing can yield.  At the very least, it’s a pretty good way to log some steps on the ol’ pedometer.

I have always been kind of drawn to eating more locally.  Maybe it’s the gardener in me?  Maybe it’s the pragmatic, live simply puritan in me? Either way, the farmers’ markets totally scratch the itch.  

If you plan on ditching a couple of trips to the grocery store in lieu of an experience with your weekly food, here’s a couple of things to remember.

Tips For Shopping At The Farmers’ Market

Take your own bags, containers, or even a cooler

You’ll be walking from vendor to vendor,  you don’t want to have to cart your purchases around in flimsy plastic bags.  Plus, those bags cost the vendors money, and those prices get passed right onto you.  

If you like to buy the specialty sausages, meats, eggs, etc., you may want to consider a cooler.  I personally like the kind you can pull like luggage, and I have no issues with rolling it around like an idiot.  All the cool people are doing it.

Timing is key

If you want the BEST selection, plan to hit the pavement early in the morning.  First thing in the morning will give you the cream of the crop. You’ll get to handpick the best of what the vendor has to offer.  

If you like to throw caution to the wind and take your chances on what you’ll get, go LATE to get deeper discounts.  Vendors will start marking down their wares later in the day so that they don’t have to cart things home.

Stock up on in season items

If you don’t garden, or you don’t have certain crops, say like your own apple tree, stock up when the prices are low.  Most vendors will even offer you a bulk discount.  That way, you can go home and fire up the canner. You know, to get you through those long winter produce droughts. 😉

Be flexible

I know menu planning is the key to saving money, and saving money is radical, but when it comes to the farmers’ market, sticking to a rigid list can end up costing you money.  It’s one of those places you have to plan for the week on the fly, like the crazy spontaneous animal that you are.  Keep your eye out for the best deals and plan around those.

Cash is king

Carry cash.  Yes, some vendors take credit cards, but again, it drives their prices up, and it takes time for the card to process.  Cash means you pay and get onto the next vendor.  Keepin’ it simple.

Get cozy with the vendors

Get to know the vendors.  A lot of times, even though things aren’t labeled “organic” when you start talking to the farmers, they did grow it organically, but didn’t want to pay the high cost of getting it “certified.”  

You’ll also know what you can expect from them in upcoming weeks.  Oh, and they are a great reference for really good recipes on produce you are less familiar cooking/serving.

Shop around

It’s a rookie mistake to buy all of your produce at the first vendor you stop at.  They have the advantage of being at the mouth of the market, but that doesn’t mean they have the best produce or prices.  Go around the block, then circle back if they are in fact the best.

Don’t purchase more than you can eat

Seems like a no-brainer, I know, but when  you get there and everything is all brightly colored and healthy looking, there is this tendency to go crazy.  Remember that if you are planning on eating it fresh {as opposed to taking it home and putting it up in some way}, you’ll want to have reasonable expectations about what you can cram down your gullet in any given week.

Well, those are my tips for shopping at the farmer’s market. Are any of you farmers’ market junkies?  What are your tips for making the most of the market?

~Mavis