Buying Local: Farmer's Markets

Farmer's markets can be a bit jarring at first. There's booth after booth of people selling the same vegetables or the same organic soaps. I've been known to walk from one end to the other of a farmer's market before finally deciding a vendor from which I want to buy my spinach. 

Farmer's markets can be found virtually everywhere. I grew up going to a little one in my small town every Saturday when I was a kid, and to this day, going to farmer's markets is one of my favorite weekend activities. Something about knowing your food comes from a local farmer instead of a giant corporate-run farm makes buying stuff at them feel so much more satisfying than taking a trip to the supermarket. 

When you live around Seattle, you learn that most people have a favorite market (mine are the U-District Farmer's Market and the Ballard Farmer's Market). When you're new to a place though, it can be fun to explore the different farmer's markets. The nice thing is that, most of the time, different towns schedule theirs for different days of the week so it's possible to check out different ones through the week without rushing from one market to the next, frantically trying to make it to them all before they close. 

Annnnyyyyywayyyyyy, to the point of this post, here is some of my advice for shopping at your local farmer's market.

Buy plants and start your own garden

I've never had a particularly green thumb (green hair is a totally different story though); however, even the most fledgling of gardeners can achieve some success with plants that have already been sprouted. Some of these are easier to tend to than others.  If you're just starting out or don't have much space, I ​highly recommend opting for herb plants such as basil, which tend to grow more vertical and can make nice, indoor companions. 

Don't overbuy

Just like when you go to the grocery store, it can be beneficial to come to the market equipped with a shopping list, or at least a general idea of what you need. The one thing that will really ruin that bag of apricots you just bought will be opening them a week later to find out they all went bad before you ate them. Take inventory before you leave, and don't get carried away with buying every leafy green you run into.

Buy lunch there

My favorite place to get lunch is the farmer's market (with my favorite place to get it there being Tandoozy). From veggie quesadillas to kale chips and soup, there's always something cheep, fresh and delicious to try!

Take advantage of samples

Samples rock. As a kid, I made it a goal to try every sample possible at the farmer's market. Aside from being a nifty way to squeeze a snack in, samples are a great way to try some new foods that you might have overlooked otherwise.

Ask questions

No one expects you to know everything about every vegetable; fortunately, that's where the vendors come in! They tend to really know their products, so don't be afraid to ask them the difference between different types of berries or how long a produce item will last in your fridge.

Know when foods are in season

Use this as a way to plan accordingly for your farmer's market run. Here is a great guide for finding out which foods are in-season at different times of the year for your particular area!