UNITED STATES—Jeez, it is hard to fathom sometimes just how beneficial your local Farmer’s Market can be. I don’t go to my local farmer’s market as much as I should simply because it is not close to me. However, this past weekend I did visit my local farmer’s market and I was stunned with all the opportunity sitting right at my fingertips and how the hell I had been ignoring it for years.
Why? First, there are tons of people who venture to the farmer’s market on a weekly basis. It is an opportunity to mingle with people and at the same time, you get to physically move around. So that socialization element comes into place people.
In addition, the number of vendors is just awesome. I’ve always been a big proponent of utilizing fresh herbs, but the problem with fresh herbs at the supermarket is the fact that they are expensive. Fresh dill, fresh thyme or rosemary is like $4 to $5 and you do not receive a lot. At the Farmer’s Market, you can get fresh basil for like $2 bucks and it’s a lot people. It’s the literal plant that if you take care of it, it will continue to grow and you can use it for weeks to come people.
I purchased sweet basil and the smell of it is unlike anything I have ever encountered in life. It delivers an extra punch for those sauces and dishes that you craft up in the kitchen that are unforgettable people. All the herbs that I saw at the Farmer’s Market had me in awe. I’ve wanted to purchase all sorts of herbs, but have always stayed clear because of the price, but after seeing how much money I can save and the variety of fresh herbs I can get at a Farmer’s Market, I might NOT ever purchase them again at the supermarket people, because I would be stupid to do it.
It was not just fresh herbs people, it was the fresh fruits and veggies at my fingertips. The summer months are crucial for great fruits, veggies and all sorts of dishes involving things that are healthy people. I’m a fruit person in and out during the summer months. Cherries I love them. I literally have paid like $30 for a bag of cherries once because that’s how much I love them. When I recently went to the supermarket a bag of cherries was $8.99 a pound, meaning a bag was about $20. However, at the Farmer’s Market a bag only cost me $5. That is right $5 people!
The same with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, they cost so much more in the winter than in the summer, but with inflation, they are just as high right now. They were $5 for a pint at the supermarket. At the Farmer’s Market, I got 2 packages of strawberries for ONLY $4! At the grocery store it was $4 for one pack! The strawberries I got were the sweetest, brightest and juiciest strawberries I have had in months people. I got a cantaloupe for $2 and it was sweet and tasty, I didn’t purchase a pineapple and I’m regretting that because I actually needed that for my juicing, but I now realize all these items are at my finger tips and I need to utilize my local Farmer’s Market way more than I have in the past.
Spice shops, bakeries, all these things right at my fingertips and I have ignored them for years because I just didn’t think about it. I love the various supermarkets in my region, but discovering my local Farmer’s Market, which I have known about for years, but have ignored has changed the game people. Not only am I getting fresher items, I am saving a ton of money also. All the fruit I purchase would have cost double at the supermarket and I would have gotten a lot less. I got a lot more and for less and with the current times that is a major, major plus people.
Written By Jason Jones
