Why I Love the Farmers’ Market

…and why you should too.

It’s time once again for the Farmers’ Market Season and for city dwellers such as myself that means avoiding the severely lacking produce department at the all too small Stop and Shop in my South Boston neighborhood until sometime in late fall. If you’ve never been you’re missing out… big time. Not familiar with the market? Here’s some info to catch you up.

The premise of a farmers market is to connect local farmers’ produce directly to consumers. Why does that matter to you?

1. Environmental impact: The produce you get at a farmers market is grown locally, which means it doesn’t take thousands of miles and countless gallons of oil to get the food from some country in South America to your dinner table. You’re helping to save millions of tons of pollution from entering the earth’s atmosphere by purchasing local foods.

2. Taste: Fruits and vegetables that are grown en mass and shipped to grocery stores are bred to withstand shipping and be uniform in shape. Why? Because the breeding prevents bruising during the long trip and American consumers are used to seeing giant shiny apples in pyramids at the grocery store. Unfortunately the same breeding process dilutes the flavor of the plants. The apple or the cucumber or the tomato at your grocery store isn’t bred to taste good, it’s bred to look nice so you’ll buy it. Problem is it tastes nothing like its fresh alternative grown locally because the local product doesn’t have to withstand the shipping. Bottom line, locally grown produce tastes a thousand times better than the stuff shipped in.


3. Variety: Ever had a lemon cucumber? (Looks like a lemon, tastes like a cucumber) No? I have. They’re delicious. How about garlic greens? I didn’t even know garlic grew greens on its top until I found them at the market. It’s similar to how green onions grow. In the spring, garlic heads grow green spirally tops. And similar to green onions, they taste like a lighter more delicate version of what’s growing underground. Slice them thin on a bias and sauté in olive oil with scallops. They are delicious. Wondering why the rarer varieties of fruits and veggies don’t pop up at your grocer? It’s a combination of factors. Some of the tasty varieties don’t ship well. Additionally, the grocers don’t think selling variety is profitable. I haven’t done my due diligence so I cannot confirm or deny. I’m not an industry expert, So that ball of wax is a discussion for another day

4. Culinary education: Don’t think you could come up with a recipe for those garlic greens? Neither did I. The great thing about a farmers’ market is that most often the people selling the produce are the farmers themselves, or else very knowledgeable staff. They’ll tell you how things grow, how long they’re in season for, how they’ll taste and pair with other foods, and how you can prepare them. What are the chances the 16 year old stock boy with skin issues at the supermarket is going to be able to offer the same advice? Consider shopping at the farmers’ market an agricultural education instead of a household chore.

5. It’s organic: Ok, technically some of the stands aren’t labeled organic but that’s only because it costs a LOT of money to become certified organic and small local farms can’t afford the USDA fees. Why that is and how that works is a whole other ball of wax. Essentially farmers’ markets practice best farming principles, as in best farming principles for the food they grow, the ground they grow it in and all the people, animals and plants they grow it around.

6. BARGAINS!!!: Ok maybe you’ve done the research and you’re about to argue you can get the same things at your local grocer for cheaper than the farmers’ market. But you’re not really buying the same thing. It’s sort of like comparing a McDonald’s cheeseburger to the filet at Capital Grille. It’s just not the same. And in many instances it costs the same price for the farmers market produce as it does for the grocer’s stuff. So, assuming you’re an omnivore like myself and someone offered you a cheeseburger or the filet for the same price, which would you go for? It’s a no brainer right? A side note for all you Whole Foods shoppers don’t even ask. You’re definitely getting a steal at the farmers’ market.

7. You can buy shares: So, you can’t trade them on the stock market after you buy, but if you buy a share in a farm you get a variety of fresh fruits and veggies every week to take home and enjoy. You don’t get to pick and choose precisely what you get but you do get a discount on the goods and an added incentive to get those 5 fruits and veggies in every day. And if you live outside the city chances are there’s a farmers market near you that you can buy a share at. Some even deliver to your door!

8. The Extras: There’s more to the farmers market than fruits and veggies. Artisanal cheeses and baked goods, infused oils, fair trade coffee beans and organic flowers are sold under those big white tents too. There are even stands that sell meat from farms that raise their animals using humane practices exclusively.

Suffice it to say the farmers market offers a variety of benefits with the convenience of being right outside our door. Your purchases there are better for you, your family and the environment. Find your local market, pack your reusable bags and head out to explore. I promise you won’t regret it.

Some supplemental information for MA residents if you’re interested:

Time Magazine Article on Local Food Movement: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200783,00.html

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingslover. Harper Collins, 2007