Buy This — Not That — at the Farmer's Market
It's summertime and the livin' is easy — especially if you live near a farmer's market. (Not sure if you're near one? Check out this market directory). Just don't go in unprepared: check out this list of what to buy and when.
Always Get (When in Season)
These fruits and veggies come really do deliver on the farmer's market promise of fresh and delicious produce, at a good price, as long as they are in season.
1. Root Vegetables
Great choices at the farmer's market are always root veggies like beets, turnips, carrots, heirloom potatoes, yams, and more. These hold up an extremely long time — up to six weeks depending on your storage method. Also, getting all your bright red and orange root vegetables means tons of vitamin A and beta carotene, leading to healthy skin and hearts.
2. Squash
Vine fruits like squash and melons are also good choices. There are usually varieties you cannot find in the grocery store, and they are usually just a day or two shy of ripeness. No more waiting days for the melon to be just right, then BAM — mold and squishy bits. In the fall, acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squashes rule the stalls, and they are all the most tasty direct from the farm.
3. Tree and Vine Fruits
Some fruits are really difficult to find in grocery stores: pluots, persimmons, passion fruit, kiwi, blood oranges, and other tasty nutrient-dense fruits. The farmer's market is made for locating new fruits without paying the insane markup of a chain store (who is likely importing the fruit frozen from another country).
4. Lettuces
Greens are excellent buys at the farmer's market, especially varieties of kale, butter lettuce, bok choy, and radicchio. These are usually much cheaper than at the chain grocers and much fresher as well — straight from the dirt! Speaking of which: Remember to rinse them thoroughly in the salad spinner before using!
5. Breads
Baked goods can sometimes fall into "skip" territory, but fresh bread at the farmer's market is usually really good. Pick up a cracked wheat or a sourdough for that day's brunch, or the week's sandwiches. Much better than store bought sliced bread.
What to Skip
Unfortunately some of the artisanal goods at the farmer's market aren't great buys, even if they are super delish.
6. Honey
Depending on your location and who is selling the honey, there can be a massive markup. Keep a lookout for who made the honey. If the jar lists a different bottler than the stall selling it, you are likely paying an inflated price. You might be better off with raw or manuka honey from Whole Foods.
7. Cheese
The cheese lady is so hard to resist, always offering you rich cubes of fresh cheeses. But keep in mind you are paying a premium for an artisanal product. There is also pressure to buy the specific cheese(s) the farmer's market stall has that day. You are probably better off purchasing fresh cheese from your local specialty foods shop where you have more variety to choose from.
8. Fresh Meat
Meat can be a double-edged sword at the farmer's market. On one hand, it's fresh and usually free of preservatives. On the other, most meat is right on the edge of perishability, so you need to cook it within a day or two. If you intend to cook it later that week, you might find that the meat has already gone brown and gamey before you get to use it.
9. Unpasteurized Dairy
While controversial, there are many out there who extol raw milk's health benefits. It's not worth it. In most states it is illegal to sell unpasteurized foods, and for good reason: you never know what bacteria or parasites are within that bottle of raw goat's milk until it's already in your belly. That's not a risk anyone should be willing to take.
10. Herbs
Fragrant, tempting herbs are plentiful at the farmer's market. But think about it: Herbs are really cheap. You can even grow them yourself. So why not do that? Five dollars for a bunch of mint may not seem like much, but you'd be spending a few cents to keep that mint plant on your kitchen windowsill.
11. Pressed Juice
Pressed juice is not only nutritionally unsound (you're straining out the fiber and many vitamins!), but incredibly pricey — up to $15 per single-serving bottle. You're basically paying for someone to destroy valuable fruits and vegetables with an extremely expensive machine. Don't fall for it.
12. Prepared Meals
At nearly every farmer's market you'll find a stall selling hot popcorn, or a falafel cart. It's Sunday morning and you haven't eaten yet. It's so tempting! Not only are the prices unreasonably high due to the nature of impulse shopping, there's never anywhere comfortable to eat it. Think of it this way: You just bought a veritable cornucopia of fresh whole foods — why not rush home and make a meal instead?
What foods or other products do you skip at the farmer's market?
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Very disappointed to see you discouraging people from purchasing locally & sustainably raised meat! There's this thing called a freezer that folks can put their freshly purchased meat into as soon as they get home. I guarantee the meat your local farmer is selling at the market is MUCH fresher than the stuff at the grocery store, and a whole lot more love and care went into the raising of those animals.
I completely disagree with all of your "skip" items!
6. Honey: Local honey is great for allergies. If you know your farmers (which is the point of a farmers market) you will know which ones are producing their own. And you know it's honey, which is more than you can say for store-bought.
7. Cheese: I personally know several of the cheese makers, and their hand crafted product is better than any you can buy at the store. Not to say that I don't go to our local cheese store, but why pick on the cheese maker? Why not just go to WalMart if you're going to make that argument?
8. Fresh Meat: The farmers at the farmers market I go to keep their meat in a deep freeze on site. You know it is Grassfed and from humanely raised animals (most offer tours of their farm). Excellent quality.
9. Unpasteurized Dairy: The farmers market is often a drop off point for raw milk herd shares. No need to be squeamish about raw milk if you have done your homework and again know your farmer.
10. Herbs: I'd like to see someone grow the variety or quantity of herbs necessary to make pesto and other summer dishes in a windowsill.
11. Juice: There are many health advantages of juicing. Although there aren't any juicers at the farmers markets I frequent, I wouldn't hesitate to get it if I knew the producer.
12. Prepared meals: Farmers markets are often the best chance a food truck has of making a profit in our area. And yes, you just bought the ingredients to make your own meals - but you can do that the other six days of the week. Use one day to rest :-)