Our love for fall is no secret. One of the many reasons we love this time of year is because the weather is finally bearable enough to visit the Farmers Market! Visiting our local farmers markets is one of our favorite Saturday activities. There is always something delicious to eat, gorgeous produce to buy, and it is a great place to meet local provisioners with awesome products.
We recently visited Phoenix Public Market (whom we will be doing monthly recipes for starting this Friday) and thought it would be fun to share some tips and tricks we’ve learned while shopping at various farmers markets. Before we share our tips, here is a bit of info about Phoenix Public Market. Additionally, Brian Hines of The Proper Beast shares some of his favorite tips:
So now that you’ve heard some tips from Brian, we have a few more (and we’ll elaborate on some of his):
- Bring Bags- This rings true with any farmers market you attend. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but it makes it easier for buying produce (a lot of produce vendors don’t have bags). We suggest bringing more than 1 bag to separate dry goods from produce.
Don’t forget your bags!
- Carry Cash- It is true that a lot of vendors now take credit cards (though not all of them do). However, did you know that they get charged a fee to process them? Help your friendly neighborhood vendors by using cash. Also, using cash is quicker thus giving you more shopping time.
Use green to buy your greens!
- Make a Plan- It is very easy to get overwhelmed at the Farmers Market. It is easier to shop when you have a game plan. You will also waste less if you go in knowing what you want to use that kale for!
Know what you want to use these veggies for!
- Break the Plan- So we just told you to make a plan right? Well sometimes you just need to break it! You might see a gorgeous head of cauliflower or some delicious cheese you just need. Go for it! It might become a new household staple.
Sometimes you don’t plan to buy flowers but they are too gorgeous to skip!
- Don’t Eat Breakfast First- This may sound counter-productive, but it really isn’t. There are always food vendors at the Farmers Market worth trying! We have seen bao, various meat and veggie filled pastries, fritters, and more. Breakfast at the Farmers Market is always a good time!
Who would turn down a spinach and cheese puff pastry?
There you have it! Now you know our tips and tricks for succeeding at the Farmers Market. Do you have a favorite Farmers Market? Maybe a tip not mentioned? We would love to hear about it! Leave your feedback in the comments below! You can also use the hashtag #GeekEats! Be sure to check back on Friday for our delicious Farmers Market inspired recipe!
*The Geeks were not compensated to facilitate this write-up; Opinions and recipe are wholly our own. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.
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