When you arrive
• Take a walk-about before you start buying: Circle the market to see what's available, what looks fantastic and who has the best price.
• Buy the heavy stuff first: That way you won't squash the tomatoes when you put your muskmelon on top.
• Experiment with different seasonal produce: I let the market dictate what we'll be eating that week. Tonight's produce is corn on the cob, sliced heirloom tomatoes with goat cheese, baby cucumber salad and muskmelon with blueberries for dessert.
• Don't get caught up in the frenzy of over-buying: Even though properly stored farm fresh produce does last longer, it will go bad. Remember there's always next week.
• Become a regular, but don't forget to try other markets: Some have local cheeses, honey, butter tarts, flowers, meats and fresh eggs.
Not sure if the guy selling the produce is the real deal?
• Check out to see if the farmer has his own labels on the baskets: Real farmers pay money to label baskets or bags.
• Farm plates: Check out the trucks for farm license plates. They are the real deal.
• Create a relationship with the farmer: I love chatting with my heirloom tomato guy from Thiessen Farms, Jordan Station, Ont. The day they appear I am in love apple heaven. Like all real farmers he knows about the variety he's selling, tips on storage, handling and serving ideas.
Getting in touch with the flavours of the season is an experience not to be missed. Farmers, the environment and your good health all come out as winners when you frequent your local market.
Mairlyn Smith is a home economist and co-author of the best-selling nutrition/cookbook Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health and don't forget the chocolate! with dietician Liz Pearson.
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2 Comments
I Really Miss This! We Lived in a Small Town! Amish Supplied the Local Tues. Market! Magor Cities Not the Same thing! To Chronically ill to go to the Nieghbourhood one! Tam.T.O.
I am a beekeeper and take my honey to market regularly. Your comment about labels is not the norm as most farmers can't afford to pay for labels and custom packaging. I print labels for my honey but this is not possible for most produce farmers. So Veg's from your backyard or small farm who grows organically will not likely have a label. In fact most of the farms that have labels will not likely be at the farmers markets at all. Instead selling to the broker that may go to markets for them. Brokers or more likely to do this as they don't have the cost of farming on their heads. They also know the advertising value of a label. It makes you think things are legit when, well who knows. As for farm plates. In truth there are many who have farm(agricultural) plates that don't grow spuds. Many who don't have an ag plate that do. A beekeeper for example can have agricultural plates but may not grow anything. A rancher, or tree farm can have agricultural plates yet not grow any produce. They could be at the market with others or distributor produce. They may have a ag plate yet not grow food. It simply means that make some money of agriculture and want to save on taxes. Others opt not to go through the hassle of a ag plate. They are the little guy growing good food on a small farm as a hobby. Not all markets have the same rules of who can sell or not sell at a given market. The best will allow ethical dealers, crafter's, and farmers to sell. Most are not worried about the ethical part. As a vendor at our local market I have seen may different types of folks selling. Some are brokers, some farmers, some like myself a bit of both. I sell my honey, and products from my associates that have similar values to myself. High quality, organically grown, sustainable produced foods, products and services. Others will tell you its organic from 'their' farm yet I know for a fact it comes from the local produce wholesaler. Or they farm by agbis standards and are telling you what you want to hear for the sale. It is more important to get to know the persons in the booth. Do you trust them to tell you the truth about the products they sell? It's not easy I know of a local honey producer with a high profile shop who mixes imported Chinese and Argentinian honey with his as sells it as his. Now he has to label the origins of the honey but not for local market sales. Opps truth in labeles. I buy from one vendor who grown most of his own but occasionally to fill the table will broker others. He tells me what is his and is not his and what he knows about what is not his. I then make my choice to buy or not to buy. Shanta organicfarming.ca