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Lori Madden, MANGROVE REALTY ASSOCIATESPhone: (941) 780-8443
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How to Shop at a Farmers Market

by Lori Madden 10/13/2019

A farmer's market is a meeting point where farmers sell foods or freshly produced cheeses or meats for human consumption which may be located indoors or outdoors to make customers comfortable. There are bountiful reasons to shop at the farmers' market due to the availability of fresh vegetables and fruits. At a farmers’ market, you’ll even find prepared foods such as salsa, jellies, candies, and even jerky.

Shopping at a farmers’ market is essential because it helps in creating income for the local farmers. There are a lot of ways to shop at a farmer's market. Choose from the freshly produced vegetables to the treated milk products, fruits, and nuts.

Benefits of shopping at a farmer’s market

Produce is seasonal: One of the primary reasons for buying in a farmers’ market because you already know you're getting fresh fruits and vegetables each market day. It also helps in decision-making for your weekly meals when visiting each stall in the farmers market. Anything out of season will not be available fresh from a farmers' market although you might find dried, canned, or prepared versions. True farmers' markets require fresh, in-season items.

Products are ripe and nutritious: Shopping from a farmers’ market is advantageous compared to shopping at a store because a farmer’s produce is fresh, ripe, and beautiful which will make your food delicious. Since their products are seasonal, a farmer knows what is nutritious by looking at it in their farms which will also make their spinach, cucumber, cheese, yams, watermelons, apples, etc. fresh and nutritious.

It's inexpensive: The farmers’ market products offer affordable, seasonal produce. When you consume fresh vegetables and fruits every day, it adds a lot of benefits to your health and saves hospital bills.

Farmers markets sell different vegetables and fruits: A farmers' market is always full of varieties of local fruits and vegetables—not only the popular ones. You can always ask the farmer about a fruit or vegetable unfamiliar to you. Most vendors offer recipes or instructions for exotic produce.

It improves the local farmers' economy: When you buy anything from a farmers’ market, it helps the family business, which allows them to continue producing fresh food for your table. It also helps in the local economy because the vendors spend what they make from their products in local shops.

To find a farmers’ market near you, ask a neighbor, at the library, or search online. Your nearby property professional is an excellent resource for local markets too, so be sure to reach out.

About the Author
Author

Lori Madden

As a Florida native growing up in Sarasota, I have seen my hometown grow from a sleepy coastal town to a highly sought-after destination along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. After working in Chicago for 5 years, I returned to Sarasota and saw it through a new lens and really began to appreciate what makes Sarasota so desirable, including temperatures that allow for year round outdoor activities including tennis (a personal favorite), golf, boating, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, or just relaxing and/or shelling on our pristine sandy shores, including Dr. Beach’s #1 beach in the United States for 2017, Siesta Key! Sarasota’s cultural amenities are many and diverse, appealing to a wide range of arts lovers. Downtown Sarasota has become a destination in itself, drawing many new developments for those who want to be within walking distance of Main Street's offerings and the picturesque bayfront and marina. Foodies will find an eclectic mix of locally owned and operated restaurants offering something for everyone, and there are now Farmers Markets every day of the week in various locations throughout Sarasota, but the Saturday morning Farmers Market in downtown Sarasota draws the biggest crowds. Since 1988, my passion has been selling real estate, representing both buyers and sellers. I have been recognized by my clients and customers for an uncompromising work ethic and dedication to helping them achieve their real estate goals. Relying on my experience as a real estate paralegal and being highly organized, I am able to help make the transition between contract and closing a smooth one for my clients. With an eye for interior and landscape design, I've been known to pitch in and help Sellers minimize and/or reorganize their belongings in order to stage their home to maximize its sale potential. I specialize in out of state buyers looking for their piece of paradise along the Gulf Coast and make it a priority to keep them up to date on our quickly changing local real estate market. I welcome the opportunity to share with you all Sarasota and her surrounding islands have to offer!