Going Down To The Farm

This weekend there will be an annual concert held to raise funds for farmers called Farm Aid. In the US, there are 2 million farms in operation across the country. 98% of them are family owned and operated. The farming industry hires 965,000 workers, bringing in 451 billion dollars a year. Farmers Markets have been around for centuries, as a way for farmers to sell their goods directly to consumers. Today, Farmers Markets are still just as profitable, as 19,000 farmers report this is the only way they sell their produce to people who visit these locations every year. When attending a Farmers Market, here is a way to make the most of your trip.

Make A List

Like any shopping trip, it is best to arrive with a plan. There will be an assortment of stands selling an array of goodies, from candles to cookbooks to baskets. If not careful, you can easily get mesmerized by everything around you, causing you to buy things you don’t need. Make a weekly menu so you know what groceries to get your family. These places often have better deals on fresh meat and produce than what you would find at a national chain. Do prepare for shortages and items being unavailable. Almost everything sold at the Farmers’ Market is handmade and some are probably seasonal goods. If you are looking for a particular item from a particular vendor, ask them when it will be available next. Some will let you order for next week if you ask nicely (and maybe put a deposit down).

BYOB

Most stands at the Farmers Market rarely have bags on hand, so if you plan on buying a lot of items, consider bringing your bags with you. Cloth tote bags are available pretty much at every store these days as companies are moving away from environmentally destructive plastic bags. Cloth grocery bags come in every size and shape you could think of. Party sites, like Oriental Trading, offer them in packs of twelve or more. If you plan on making this part of your routine shopping, consider investing in a hiking backpack, a basket shopping cart, or a utility wagon to carry your goods in. Once you finish unloading it into the house, don’t forget to put it back in the car for next week.

Bring Cash

Many vendors take cards as payment these days, and 58% of the stands taking part in the WIC/EBT State Nutrition Program. With so many farmers moving towards a plastic currency world, there are still some old-timers set in their ways and only take cash for payments. Try to visit a nearby ATM prior to arriving to get some cash to keep on you, just in case. You don’t want to flash it all over the place just in case seedy people are watching, so only bring your wallet out when paying. When dealing with a cash-only vendor, try to match the price as best as you can. Carry small bills and as much change as you can dig out from between the couch cushions. This is because cash-only booths will struggle to give change, and nobody wants to do math at 8 AM on a Saturday.

Mind Your P’s And Q’s

These farmers and crafters spent days or months making and growing these things by hand, so watch what you say while at their booth. Just like the old saying goes, “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all”. If you think an item is ugly, bite your tongue and walk away. If interested in something you’ve never seen before, talk to the vendor about it. They will be more than happy to answer questions you may have, with some giving you recipes on how to prepare it. Don’t haggle over the price of something, it’s set like that for a reason. Some may even consider it rude to do so. If you think your brother-in-law’s cousin’s college roommate can do it better and cheaper, then reach out to them to make it. Don’t waste the vendor’s time arguing over prices.

Why Even Go To A Farmers Market?

Farmers Market can be quite a unique adventure. They can have produce you never heard of that’s worth trying at least once. Products you’ve never seen before, that are worth trying at least once. The best reason to choose to go to a Farmers Market over a retail store is not only are you helping small businesses, but you’re helping a local family. Their kids might play with your kids at recess. Their husband probably hangs out after work at a nearby bar with your husband. The fabric used to make that quilt was bought from the crafting store you work part-time at. They’re your neighbors trying to make ends meet. These small businesses are a tremendous benefit to the local economy by bringing in more local jobs and more tax dollars for community projects. More jobs mean more houses, and more houses mean more people, leading to a brighter future for your community.

For more information about Farm Aid, visit https://www.farmaid.org/