One of the MANY reasons I love summer is the return of Farmer's Markets. Growing up in India, I never realized that one day I would have to 'seek out' local produce. As a 90's kid I have grown up and fed on local produce which the vendors would source from farmers and that's where you would find all your fruits and vegetables. There is no concept of grocery stores and produce section. Anyways, cut-to twenty years later here I am in United States, getting excited about weekend farmer's markets. You ask, why? Well, from savoring produce at the peak of freshness to meeting the people who grow your food, there are countless reasons to support farmers markets. Here are just a few to encourage you visit your local Farmer's Market too, if you don't already:
1. Taste Real Flavors
The fruits and vegetables you buy at the farmers market are the freshest and tastiest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen fully in the field and are brought directly to you—no long-distance shipping, no gassing to simulate the ripening process, no sitting for weeks in storage. This food is as real as it gets—fresh from the farm.2. Enjoy the Season
The food you buy at the farmers market is seasonal. It is fresh and delicious and reflects the truest flavors. Shopping and cooking from the farmers market helps you to reconnect with the cycles of nature in our region. As you look forward to asparagus in spring, savor sweet corn in summer, or bake pumpkins in autumn, you reconnect with the earth, the weather, and the turning of the year.3. Support Family Farmers
Family farmers need your support, now that large agribusiness dominates food production. Buying directly from farmers gives them a better return for their produce and gives them a fighting chance in today’s globalized economy.4. Protect the Environment
Food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your plate. All this shipping uses large amounts of natural resources (especially fossil fuels), contributes to pollution, and creates trash with extra packaging. Conventional agriculture also uses many more resources than sustainable agriculture and pollutes water, land, and air with toxic agricultural by-products. Food at the farmers market is transported shorter distances and is generally grown using methods that minimize the impact on the earth.5. Nourish Yourself
Much food found in grocery stores is highly processed and grown using pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Some of it has been irradiated, waxed, or gassed in transit. These practices may have negative effects on human health. In contrast, most food found at the farmers market is minimally processed, and many of our farmers go to great lengths to grow the most nutritious produce possible by using sustainable techniques, picking produce right before the market, and growing heirloom varieties.6. Discover the Spice of Life: Variety
At the farmers market you find an amazing array of produce that you don’t see in your average supermarket: red carrots, a rainbow of heirloom tomatoes, purple cauliflower, stinging nettles, green garlic, watermelon radishes, quail eggs, maitake mushrooms, and much, much more. It is a wonderful opportunity to savor the biodiversity of our planet.7. Promote Humane Treatment of Animals
At the farmers market, you can find meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals that have been raised without hormones or antibiotics, who have grazed on green grass and eaten natural diets, and who have been spared the cramped and unnatural living conditions of feedlots and cages that are typical of animal agriculture.8. Know Where Your Food Comes From
A regular trip to a farmers market is one of the best ways to connect with where your food comes from. Meeting and talking to farmers and food artisans is a great opportunity to learn more about how and where food is produced.9. Learn Cooking Tips, Recipes, and Meal Ideas
Farmers, ranchers, and artisans at the farmers market are often passionate cooks with plenty of free advice about how to cook the foods they are selling.10. Connect with Your Community
Wouldn’t you rather stroll amidst outdoor stalls of fresh produce on a sunny day than roll your cart around a grocery store with artificial lights and piped in music? Coming to the farmers market makes shopping a pleasure rather than a chore.
Photography via JessBeeCreates
Location - Baltimore Farmer's Market
Shoes - Tommy Hilfiger // Similar
Hat - Steve Madden // Similar
Bag - bsimple // Same
I love a good farmers market!
ReplyDeleteThese 10 reasons are the same reasons why I love shopping at farmers market! I always look forward to going to one!
ReplyDeletewww.rdsobsessions.com
Farmers markets are my absolute fave! You just can't beat the freshness!
ReplyDeletexx Mollie
Such a lovely summer dress and hat. Farmer's markets are quite cool -- certainly a great way to engage with the community. Here in the Bay, we have a farmer's market every day of the week in various local cities. It's quite nice.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from your previous post: I'm thinking about quitting alcohol as well. I don't drink that often anyway, so I don't think it would be too difficult to give it up. Just not getting any benefit from it.
I absolutely LOVE this post! The town I grew up in has a huge farmers market and I always used to get my produce from it. I definitely want to get back into farmers market shopping. Also, love how colorful and cool these photos are!
ReplyDeleteLee | LegalLee Blonde
I love shopping at farmer's markets too. I also love getting to know my neighbors better when I visit my local farmer's market.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes to all of this!!! Love shopping at the Farmer's Market!
ReplyDeletexo Laura Leigh
www.louellareese.com
I love shopping local as much as I can!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post, love Farmer's Markets! Also loving your cute outfit!!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Cathy
I love going to the farmer's market!! Such a fun way to spend your day!
ReplyDeleteI love the Farmer's Market. It's so good to know your items are locally produced and you are supporting local farmers.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun photos you took for this! The perfect summer farmer's market outfit, too! I love our local market. It's gotten HUGE over the last couple of years and now takes up a few blocks downtown. Even when I don't buy anything, it's really fun just to walk around and check out the sights and sounds! Luckily ours is open year round, rain or shine (they do it in a parking garage if the weather is bad) so while it's naturally more 'happening' in the summer and warmer months, it's great to know it's there every Saturday!
ReplyDeleteTanvi, I love the dress and hat you are wearing on this post <3 Also, thank you for supporting local farmers!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and I love the hat. I must try to get to the local farmers market. I love garden tomatoes!!
ReplyDeleteI love this list. We go to our farmers market nearly every weekend and it's always so fun for me to wander the booths and see what fresh treasures I can find for our meals that week.
ReplyDeleteAwww Tanvi, that one photo of you laughing is the best ever. I would love to know what happened :-) We love going to the local farmer's markets too. You just can't beat the taste of real fresh fruit and veggies. It's almost as if you can still taste the sunshine when you take a bite
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love shopping at markets - there's such a wide variety of delicious produce to try. I local seasonal and local food.
ReplyDeleteFresh fruits and veggies are the way to go! I love how much better they taste.
ReplyDeleteAww I absolutely adore going to farmers markets! I love buying local! DaisyGirl
ReplyDeleteReally cute outfit. I always like to shop local to help with businesses that are in my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteI love your outfit! I love farmers markets, so many good veggies and unique items!
ReplyDeleteAh yes all great reasons! But you forgot one, it is also fun!! And you wore the perfect out for it. Love these photos :)
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
I love your photos! One of my favorite weekend excursions is the farmers markets. Like your post says so much variety, healthy, and you know exactly where your food is coming from.
ReplyDeleteAll great reasons- I love shopping local whenever I can and there's just something about the freshness at a farmer's market!
ReplyDeleteI love your style Tanvi that dress looks amazing on you! I love the idea of shopping at a farmers market, we dont have too many here but I might seek one out!
ReplyDeleteThat is a fun post! I love farmers market too!
ReplyDeleteIt's as if you know why I go to Farmer's market, there is nothing like obtaining fresh fruits directly from the market to your home
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy visiting the farmer's market. It's fun to find unexpected things and support local business owners. You have a great fashion sense too!
ReplyDeleteI only discover the possibility of attending a farmers market here in Europe! I've lived here for almost 15 years now and I've learnt to appreciate all the reason you mention.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, YES!! We have a local farmers market less than a mile from our home and shop every Saturday when we can. It's so wonderful not only knowing where our food comes from, but getting to meet the people behind the farms. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such an excellent list. You've inspired me to visit one this weekend! PS: Can't get enough of your hat!
ReplyDeleteI always love famers market discoveries. You just get to see so much creativity!
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