Farmers Market 101: 5 Questions to Ask Your Farmer

Food plays a huge role in health and well-being, so it is important to get the quality you deserve. Frustratingly, it’s often difficult to get questions answered from your local restaurant or grocery store. I know my questions to waiters are often received with a glare of inconvenience. Fortunately, the local farmers’ market is a different story.

Farmers’ market vendors love inquisitive customers so ask away. Don’t know what to ask? We can help. Firstly, remember that no genuine question is a bad question, so don’t be shy!

We like to keep things simple so we stick with the 5 W’s (the good ole’ who, what, where, when & why).

Who is the farmer?
What chemicals, if any, were used?
Where is the farm located?
When was the produce picked?
Why should or shouldn’t I buy organic? 

Bonus Questions – the How:

How do I pick the best one?
How do I prepare this?
How do I store this?

With questions like these, you’ll quickly find the farmers’ market is not just a place to pick up your groceries.  It’s a place to cultivate relationships with your food sources. Next time you are at your local farmers market, spend an extra minute to inquire about your purchase.  We know they will appreciate your curiosity and will likely remember you the next time you come to see them!!

Farmers Market 101: Market Faux-Pas

We’ve already discussed our top tips and tricks to get the most of your farmers’ market experience. Next up is our advice for what not to do at the market! Every market is different and unique, but these tips go for all markets across the board. Being mindful of the following will make each and every farmers’ market that more enjoyable for everyone! Here are our top 5 no-no’s:

1. Don’t over bargain: Bargains are all around the farmers’ market. From free samples, rounding down of transaction totals and the occasional free extra piece of produce, generosity abounds. Be grateful and don’t try to take advantage of the generous and casual nature of your farmers. They work extremely hard to provide the freshest and most nutritious food, and deserve every penny, which represents an investment in your community and local food system.
2. Don’t be in a rush: Life is sometimes crazy, and we understand that we live in a fast paced environment. However, one of the main charms of a farmers’ market is its slow, leisurely place. It’s an outdoor area meant for community gathering and relaxation, so give yourself time to walk around, talk to farmers and neighbors, and pick your perfect produce.
3. Don’t litter: Samples often come with a toothpick or mini cup. Avoid the easy temptation to toss it (or the remains of that strawberry top) on the ground. Be respectful to the market and the earth by placing trash in the bins.
4. Don’t be above market regulations: Market staff loves your pet but we have a duty to make sure the market is compliant with all health and agriculture department regulations. Don’t get upset when we ask you to obey them too. Unfortunately, pets are currently not allowed. Your pet is adorable but if it comes in contact with a vendor’s produce that vendor must toss it out, resulting in a loss of income.

Top 5 Reasons to Shop Local

There are endless benefits to shopping local. Here’s our top 5!

1. Get Fresh: Local food travels less distance (leaving a smaller carbon footprint), and is typically picked within the last 24 hours. That means crisper and fresher than the produce picked three weeks earlier and shipped across the globe. Supermarkets typically select for durability and long shelf life rather than flavor. Eggs and animal protein follow the same rules. You’ll often find eggs at your local farmers’ market hatched that same morning!

2. Tis’ the Season: Years ago, supermarkets were few and far between and people would only eat what they grew. Nowadays, supermarkets carry every fruit and vegetable imaginable even if the season has passed and it’s not natural for that region. There is great fulfillment and a lot of health research on the benefits of eating in tune with the season.

3. Cultivate Relationships: By cutting out the middleman and buying directly from local farmers, you establish a direct relationship with your food source. Knowing where your food comes from is important.

4. Getting Deep: Supermarket produce is shallow. It is selected based on ‘prettiness’. Your local farm favors the often ‘not so pretty’ varieties because they possess superior flavor and pack more nutrients. The farmers’ market is the perfect place to find the produce grown for taste and not for show. Spend your money on flavor not looks.

5. Support Your Neighbors: Shopping local keeps dollars within the community, thereby bolstering the local economy and strengthening your own neighborhood.

Farmers Market 101: What is a Farmers' Market?

Many are surprised to hear that my job even exists. They typically aren’t aware there is an organizer behind their local farmers’ market. Perhaps it is because the idea of a small local gathering of producers is ingrained in our society’s evolution. Farmers’ markets date back to ancient times; over 5,000 years ago, when local farmers sold live animals and crops from their farms to the community. Informal “pop-up” markets like these were also prevalent in America with the first settlers. But then they faded away with the onset of urbanization and the rise of the grocery store bringing in the era of food commoditization and corporatization. To the delight of the local foodie, seasonal eater, and civic-minded folk, farmers’ markets have made a comeback – doubling over the last five years in the United States to over 8,000!

It’s a trend to ditch your big business supermarket, and shop small and local. The movement is making such a wave that you’re now seeing the supermarkets try to rebrand themselves as local, farm friendly institutions. Some even go as far as using the term farmers’ markets in their name (e.g., Sprouts Farmers’ Market). This is what I like to call farmwashing. Using marketing tricks to make yourself look like you’re connected to a farm. A bunch of hogwash if you ask me!

Unlike the markets of the old days, which were very informal, today’s markets do carry a greater deal of formality (i.e., regulation) with them. It was only back in the 1970s that California passed its Direct Marketing Regulations to once again allow farmers’ markets to rise. The regulations were spurred on by the need for farmers to find a market for their ‘second quality’ produce (produce that didn’t fit the standards of the supermarket distribution channel). As the supermarket distribution channel became more and more developed, farmers started finding themselves with more and more ‘second quality’ produce going to waste. To be sold at a supermarket, all produce must meet standard packing and labeling requirements. Meaning everything has a label (sticker), is uniform (same size and shape) and of “first quality” (non-blemished). To comply with this system and survive, farmers’ shifted away from heirloom varieties and towards hybrid seed varieties, which via plant breeding result a better yield of uniform produce (I refer to natural selection here not GMOs). Something was sacrificed along the path to greater yield. Unfortunate for the consumer, it was taste and nutrition.

Good news! The resurgence of farmers’ markets has liberated the farmer to refocus on growing for taste and nutrition by providing an outlet for heirloom varieties. At the forefront of this movement was the tasty heirloom tomato.

As an operator of farmers’ markets, I strongly believe in their benefits for farmers, consumers, businesses and the community. In my opinion, here are some of the important ones.

1. More Money For Farmers: Farmers cut out the middleman by selling directly to consumers. This allows them to keep a greater percentage of the fair market price for their produce and also to get paid on the spot (versus waiting 30, 60 or even 90 days or more for their distribution company to pay their invoice). This opportunity keeps smaller farms from otherwise going out of business.
2. Freshness: Do you prefer a tomato picked within the last 24 hours in your home State or one that was picked 3 weeks ago across the globe?
3. Better Taste & Nutrition: Looks don’t matter as much at a farmers’ market. Flavor and nutritional qualities steal the show. After all, our food is meant to nourish our bodies not simply look good on the shelf.
4. Greater Variety: The variety at a farmers’ market will always outplay the supermarket. You have the option to buy organic produce, grass fed meats, and unique heirloom varieties you may have never seen before (except perhaps in Grandma’s garden years ago)!
5. Support Local: Shopping directly from your local farmers and food artisans supports your local businesses.
6. Community Building: Farmers’ markets bring the community together, along with generating traffic to nearby businesses. It gives an area a unique touch unlike any other that encourages visitors to return.

Please note that the term “farmers’ market” is not a legally defined term – anyone can use it in any way they like. Here in California, our Direct Marketing Regulations legally define the term “Certified Farmers’ Market”. This means that all produce sold at the market is grown in California. It also means our farmers abide by strict laws to ensure they are growing and selling their own produce. Farmers are inspected by the Department of Agriculture, and follow specific rules for loading, transportation and storage. To hold the farmer even more accountable, you will now see each farmer’s banner stating, “We Grow What We Sell.” It’s comforting to be able to visit your local market, and trust your growers and produce.

Farmers’ markets will only continue to gain popularity as the health trend grows, and we’re excited to see what’s next. Who doesn’t love combining their community, nature and food? It sounds like a recipe for success to us!

Back to School: Healthy Farmers Market Snacks

How perfect is the image of an apple on a school desk? They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away—and we love all advice that involves eating fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market. Because it's back to school time (and cold and flu season is right around the corner), we've come up with some healthy snacks using farmers' market ingredients that are perfect for kids (or adults who are kids at heart...).

Fruits and Nuts

It doesn't get easier than spreading apple or pear slices with unsweetened nut butter or topping them with a nuts and honey mixture (Martha Stewart recipe). For a cracker spread, blend unsweetened cocoa powder and honey with a nut butter of your choice.

Vegetables

Kid-friendly vegetable snacks to make include cauliflower tots (Food 4 Tots recipe), kale chips (Eating Well recipe), and zucchini sticks (Delish recipe).

Smoothies and Juices

Who wouldn't love a chocolate avocado smoothie made with unsweetened cocoa powder with avocado and milk and sweetener of your choice (Parenting recipe). For juices, sneak vegetables into a mostly fruit blend—such as beet, apple, and spinach or tomato, carrot, spinach and apple (Inhabitots recipes). Also, consider add-ons. Raw Cane SugarJuice, a vendor at our Manhattan Beach Certified Farmers' Market, uses liquid chlorophyll in its juices for its germ-fighting potential. You can pick up juices or make your own and slip in immunity-boosting ingredients.