Fill up your kitchen with these 10 local farmer produce you can find at your closest farmer's market.
There are more than 8,000 farmer’s markets in the United States. These local markets are a great way to check out local businesses, vendors, products, and food. Plus, you’ll be helping out your community instead of a large corporation. But what should you be purchasing from these markets? In this guide, we go over 10 local farmer produce items that are worth shopping for.
Nothing beats fresh, local honey. Store-bought honey can be produced overseas and packed with water, synthetic sweeteners, and potentially harmful chemicals in a practice called ‘honey laundering.” Local honey is healthier and can help you overcome seasonal allergies. Plus, many vendors even mix different kinds of honey, creating unique yet delicious flavors.
Have you ever seen brown eggs? Those are from free-range chickens typically on local farmers' land. Farm fresh eggs are healthier than their grocery store counterparts. Eggs from farmer market vendors contain less cholesterol and saturated fat but more vitamins A, E, and D, along with omega-3 fatty acids and beta carotene.
Stop spending money on minuscule amounts of herbs from your supermarket, and instead, get a great value and quality of herbs at a farmer’s market. The bundles of herbs you can find there are often twice as big and half the price compared to what you’ll find in a conventional grocery store. Plus, you can find a wider variety, as well, like bunches of marjoram, savory, and tarragon.
At your local grocery store, you may only find two or three different heirlooms of radishes, while at your local farmer’s market, you may find hard-to-find ones, like the watermelon radish or Korean radish. During specific times of the year, you can even find seasonal radishes.
Did you know that grocery store tomatoes are picked when they are under-ripe and refrigerated to make the trip to the store without bruising and/or spoiling? Local vendors do the exact opposite. They pick their tomatoes at peak ripeness and drive them to the local farmer’s market when the flavor and texture are at their best.
Many root vegetables like carrots are affected by the soil they grow in. Non-organic grocery store carrots may come from soil full of pesticides and growth hormones, while farmer’s market carrots grow in soil with limited or no pesticides or herbicides. Plus, you can find different colored carrots, like purple, more commonly at these vendor shops compared to your local grocery shop.
While you may not think about buying beef from your local farmer's market, a lot of meat that you find at your grocery store is packed full of antibiotics. Grass-fed cows are naturally lower in fat and calories, and have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help boost brain power and even prevent heart disease!
Many of your favorite berries — strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries — are not as fresh as you think. Most are imported from other countries like Mexico, Canada, and Poland, whereas at a farmer’s market, the berries are picked off the vine!
Do you want a little slice of heaven? Then you need to try out freshly baked bread from your local farmer’s market. The best part of buying bread from one of these vendors is that there’s a wide variety. From freshly-baked baguettes to gluten-free hamburger buns, and everything in between — you’re bound to find a loaf that matches your taste.
Many grocery stores have a ton of spices, but as you roam through the aisle, you may find common ones like dried sage to be missing or over-priced. Farmer’s markets typically have a variety of spices at a more affordable cost. Plus, some vendors may even have hard-to-find ethnic spices!
Have you ever tried purchasing these local farmer produce from a farmer’s market? How was it? Let us know by shooting us a direct message with your farmer’s market haul and reviews on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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