13 Things You Should Know About Farmers' Markets

Pick-your-own. I live in a semi-rural area...so although I had terrible experiences with farmers markets - I will actually do the pick-your-own at places I trust. I get awesome strawberries fresh off the vine, raspberries, sugar snap peas, corn, etc. There are also some people who sell from their farms with stands out front. If I got a recommendation for one of them, I'd try them too. The prices are usually better because they didn't have to haul it to/from market and lose half a day of farming to sell.

The idea of a farmer's market is great...but unfortunately the ones local to me aren't so great. I can't inspect produce as closely as I would in a store and when I got home I discovered most of what I had purchased was subpar - we're talking cabbage with worms, overripe fruit under the 'fresh' top layer etc. I bought from more than one vendor too. I'm more likely to try a co-op than waste my time with the farmers markets around here again. I disagree with #10 - just because someone has one storefront does not mean they don't care where their product comes from - part of the greatness of a farmers' market should be that one-off local businesses can offer added value to your trip to the farmers' market by allowing you to one-stop-shop for great local cured meats, breads, crafts etc. As long as the product is locally made with local ingredients...whether they sell from a single shop or their farm on non-market days is irrelevant.

Although farmers don't typically like to dicker there is one trick that you can use to get a great deal. If you notice a farmer has nearly sold out and there isn't much left on their table ask them how much for what they have left. Sales get really slow when you don't have much on display. Often they will cut you a good deal so they can close up and go home.

The 14th thing you should know about Farmer's Markets is that if Food Corporations and the Government have their way they will be outlawed.
Look up Congress, S510 in any search engine and see what's quietly being done off the radar.
My parents dragged me to farmer's markets since birth. I would much rather have a heirloom tomato from a local farmer than a 'vine ripened' tomato from Albertson's. I haven't had a decent peach since I moved from the farmer's markets in NY, NJ and stopped buying them eons ago. I'd rather support the local economy when I can and local farmers when I can.

farmers markets ARE expensive. I'm sorry, I can get peaches anywhere. Why should I spend 5 bucks on 3 of them. I get that you need to make an income. But I need to keep some of my income.

I so agree with number 5. There are only 2 things I like about summer. That is when comic-con is, and that is when the farmer's market near my job goes on. They have the absolute best strawberries. I only buy my strawberries from them. When I first started buying from them it was $6 for a 3 pack and it is loaded. They went up only a $1 and I understood why, and I didn't have a problem with it. This person that used to work in my office, then basically tries to berate me for buying from them. Going on about how Vons had some special going on about a 3 pack for like $4. I have had grocery store strawberris and they are gross. They aren't sweet, and they put the minimal amount in their packages that they can. I will continue to buy from my local farmers. I also buy other fruits from them if they have them. Although I wish the guy with cherries would come back.

I went to a farmer's market and they had really excellent produce, but the cost difference between them and grocery was too prohibitive. I would totally do it if I had the extra money, but I can barely make ends meet as it is.

I love my "Farmer Market" I have gotten to know a few. One batch of cucumber I purchased were very bitter, so when I saw him the next week, I told him that they were very bitter. He thanked me, his wife grows them, and told me he would look into it. The week after he told me that the reason they were bitter was that he had picked them too early. His wife told him to pick from row 2 and he picked from row 4. The have 5 rows of cucumbers and he was suppose to pick the 2nd from the right instead he picked the 2nd from the left. Talk to them, make friends, I go to the farmers market not only to buy fresh food but to make friends. How else am I going to get the best recipe for cooking some of those yummy things.

Venders aren't always local farmers. We discovered that in Asheville when the vendors all claimed to be local farmers with fresh produce. They bought in S.C. and sold the same produce as in the food market. One vender hid the small peaches on the bottom of the bag. I picked out a group of large ones. No over sight. Not a fresh home grown tomato among them.

Thanks! Always good to know what it's like from the vendor's point of view.

#10: I live on the Gulf of Mexico and there is a vendor here who has a retail store (rather small one), but sells freshly caught seafood. Why is that a big deal? I get great ahi tuna for relatively cheap and they get to sell their stuff--I wouldn't normally go to their storefront anyway.

Wow. I opened this article to learn some quick tips and tricks, but now I feel like I've just been spanked. I think I'm adequately informed about what NOT to do at the farmer's market, but I'm also scared to go back.
Are all the vendors like Joan Crawford?

But if you get there later than sometimes you can score good deals!

13. Ask where the farm is located. I recently went to a "local" farmer's market and ended up buying red peppers from Mexico (the sticker was on the bottom of the pepper; I didn't notice until I got home).

This is a nice fairy tale, but it depends on the farmer's market. I've been sold some absolute crap, including a cantaloupe that tasted like soap...no doubt they were watering it with washing machine effluent!

#12. I could care less if you hate these buzz words. They are important words. The only reason there is awareness is because of the words.

I will contiune to ask. Because I'd like to know if I'm buying overpriced crap, or good quality stuff.
Sounds to me you hate these words because you can't say yes and be proud of your product.