5 Ways Local Farmer's Markets Change How You Eat

Farmer’s Markets, offering fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, nuts, honey, herbs and jams, are becoming more prevalent and increasingly popular in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Cities gladly cordon off designated blocks one morning a week or a month to give residents access to locally grown produce and to stimulate commerce. The Union Square Farmer’s Market in New York City is legendary for bringing the farm to the urbanites and the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market in Southern California has been called the “crown jewel” of such markets by Los Angeles Times food writer Russ Parsons.

These street markets are changing the way you eat. Farmer’s Markets are influential in food freshness, variety, nutrients, creativity and cost. Here’s how:

Freshness: The majority of produce for Farmer’s Markets is harvested the day before the event. This allows the produce to be picked ripe or at its peak. Typically, the vendors are farmers located within a 200 mile radius of the Market. This is in contrast with the produce sold in grocery store chains, which can come from farms located in another hemisphere. Grocery store produce is harvested well before ripeness in order to withstand bulk handling and long range shipping. Some farmers say the “senescence” of produce, or the process of dying, starts immediately after picking. Most grocery store produce is at least a week old by the time it goes on display. One of the reasons stores automatically spray the vegetable section every few minutes is to try to perk it up a bit. Experts point out that the nutrients of the produce leach out with every one of those sprayings.

Also in contrast with grocery store practices, farmers who do not sell out their stock on the day of the market generally do not attempt to sell it again the next day. One strawberry grower said whatever does not sell on market day goes into strawberry juice or jams, but is not offered again as berries.