6 Reasons to Shop at Your Local Farmers Market

Author: Linda Sanford

For me being involved in the Anacortes Farmers Market is a real gift that keeps on giving. Relating to the farmers and vendors allows me to see the community from a perspective of artisans that are diligently committed to their passion.

I recently read this article: 6 Reasons Why You Should Shop at a Farmers Market, and hope you’ll read it, too.

Being a farmer, or a vendor, is not for the faint of heart; the innovation, commitment, entrepreneurial outlay, plus time spent in the trenches, is never ending. They arrive each week with a dedication for delivering and introducing us to locally created, grown, and produced products, giving us the opportunity to purchase locally, be adaptive, and continue to increase our awareness of living in stewardship and health with our natural environment.

Whether your local Farmers Market is in Anacortes or elsewhere, here are a few of my thoughts on why shopping at a Farmers Market a is plus for your Healthy Home.

• Farmers Markets are places of community! They give us the opportunity to connect with artisans and farmers; ask questions, and to learn more about their commitment and passion for their livelihood. It’s also a wonderful place to connect and visit with friends and neighbors!
• The ingredients sold by farmers are ripe from the fields.
• Eating seasonally grown food has an earmark for being nutritionally healthier for our bodies. We are also connecting closer with our natural environment with field-ripened ingredients.
• It is a pleasure to check in with farmers and artisans on how they are creating their product or growing their foods and why they have chosen these methods.
• Growers at Farmers Markets are able produce a wider variety of fruits and veggies, introducing us to varieties that are a delight to investigate in our Healthy Home meals.
• When you shop at your local Farmers Market, you support local, smaller growers.

A common myth around eating healthy food is that it is more expensive than grocery-bought products. However, in most cases the foods sold at Farmers Markets are within range; they are not competing with third-market parties from grocery stores. Additionally – and I believe most importantly – they have ethical standards that sustain themselves with a smaller production base.

Join your Farmers Market community, wherever you live or travel!

Enjoy the weekly events. Visit with – and learn from – the local farmers and artisans! These folks all understand the value of supporting each other and our communities, and we in turn can support them by buying locally, keeping our spending local, and supporting our local workforce.

In addition to all of the above, you’re also joining a strong, committed, and generous community base which benefits all of our Healthy Home lifestyles.