During the latter half of the summer and the earlier part of the fall, you are dealing with what is the perfect season for visiting a farmers market. There are small “mom and pop” style stands and larger, more organized markets offering extensive selections from multiple vendors. No matter which option you choose, you are definitely going to find it to be worth the trip if you are trying to expand your horizons in terms of fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food choices. Experiencing food in its finest forms is a great way to encourage even the pickiest people to try a few nibbles of something new. When it comes to consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, the farmers market is definitely the perfect place for you to find some brand new and fabulous foods that will suit everyone in your family.

Benefits of Farmers Market Shopping

1. One of the greatest benefits of shopping at the farmers market is that the vegetables and the fruit are grown locally and they are picked at the peak of ripeness, meaning that their aroma, their taste and their texture are all enhanced greatly for better enjoyment.

2. Another benefit is that farmers market prices are typically much lower than what you will find in traditional grocery store outlets.

3. Buying locally at farmers markets is eco-friendly! Our current system for food transportation and food distribution requires the expenditure of incredible amounts of energy as well as resources. The average food item in the US is going to travel more than 1,300 miles before it reaches your dinner table. 10 percent of the energy that goes into the food system is for the production of the food, and the other 90 percent goes into transportation, packaging and marketing of the food, and many environmental problems are created by this inefficiency and wastefulness.

4. Not only does shopping at a farmers market benefit the local farmers in your area, but it also builds strength for your entire local community as well.

5. Because the produce you buy is being picked at the absolute peak of the season, the phytochemicals and the nutrients are going to be more abundant. According to Hippocrates, we should allow food to be our medicine, and this is a great way to do it. In part two of this article we are going to talk more about the phytochemicals and nutrients that can be found in fresh produce. Do not try to remember all of the names belonging to these different phytochemicals as it will only bog you down. What you should remember is that eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is the absolute best way to benefit from all of the healthy nutrients that fresh fruits and vegetables have to offer you, especially when they are at the peak of the season and freshness.