Farmers Market Season is in Full Swing!
What’s beautiful about buying from the farmers market? Well, first off, you can find super-fresh, high-quality fruit and vegetables.
And second, your dollars support local economies instead of sending money across the country (or globe) and into the hands of CEOs and shareholders.
Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients are necessary to keep the body functioning properly and decreasing risk of chronic disease. We can get all of these when we eat a variety of fruit and vegetables — and they are even better for us when they’re fresh from the farmers market!
Fruits and vegetables begin to lose their nutrients the moment they are picked. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2024, “the shorter the time and distance from farm to sale, the higher the levels of vitamins and minerals.” This is what makes farmers markets so amazing! Your food is freshly picked — it hasn’t been sitting in boxes, waiting to be shipped cross country while all those precious vitamins and nutrients diminish. To confirm freshness while you’re at the market, you can just simply ask the farmer or farm workers when the produce was picked. It’s that easy!
Farmers markets provide an opportunity to purchase a variety of local, organic produce which is better quality than produce that’s conventionally grown. Organic produce can actually have more nutrients than conventionally grown counterparts. It’s also easy to find evidence linking pesticides to cancer, hormone disruption, negative affects on brain function and our nervous system (Environmental Working Group, 2024). Organic produce allows you to dramatically reduce your exposure to harmful toxins.
And if that's not enough of a case for organic, we know that pesticides (used in conventional growing) poison our air, land, and water and are killing off animals, birds, marine life, and insects by the masses.
If you don’t see organic labels or signs at the farmer’s market, ask the professional at the stand. Obtaining a certified organic verification is a time consuming and expensive process for farmers. Especially for the smaller farm operations. Many farmers simply forego the verification and sell their organic produce without the label. At a farmers market, you can find out exactly how your food is produced. Just ask!
Finally, walking through the farmers market just feels healthy for the mind, body, and soul! Feeling part of a community, breathing in the fresh air and getting closer to where my food was made is so important to me.
Use this link to locate a farmers market near you, wherever you are: Local Harvest — Farmers Market Locator
