Support Your Local Farmers Market

 Fresh Baby Kale from my local Farmers Market

I have a wonderful farmers market here in my town of Alpena, Michigan that goes above and beyond to bring good food to our area, even having a musician playing acoustic guitar last week. Unfortunately  so many of the people I talk to don't go. I asked around and here's some common reasons:  it’s an extra stop, they don’t accept Visa, they don't know what the foods featured are… 

Sure, there are lots of reasons not to go, but so many more support why you should make the trip. Let’s break it down into three reasons: 

1. Stall Diversity, Much Like Stock Diversity 

Make sure that these local farmers can continue operations...and add a little more cash flow into their businesses. This will allow them to diversify their vegetables and add more options to the food stalls. Win. Win. 

 2. It's Fun  

It's really fun to meet the person that grows your food. This concept is foreign to so many Americans, especially those in an urban environment, but it can change. Farmers markets are setting up in Urban environments more and more frequently and its impact on children is profound. Watching a TED Talk by  Ron Finley recently, who plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA--in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along curbs. Why: For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where, "the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys." Ron says in his talk. See it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html

3. Pad your Pockets

The final reason? Save your money! The cost of farmers market food is typically less than your local grocery store. You don't have to pay the costs of markup after the farmer sells their produce at wholesale prices to a wholesaler who then sells it to a grocer who then sells it to you. Cut out two steps, two potential prices increases and just buy it from your farmer.