As you walk out the door, you grab your house keys and the reusable grocery bags you always use for a day of shopping. A breath of fresh, summer air greets you. It is Saturday morning and early enough that the Kansas heat is still comfortable. You take a deep breath and start your trek to the local Farmers’ Market, welcoming the sun on your face. As you approach the market, you see a variety of colors as local vendors set up their displays of produce, baked goods, eggs, crafts, and much more. Customers range from the elderly to children in strollers, all observing the ruckus with anticipation. Conversations strike up between customers and vendors, discussing what was freshly picked last night or baked this morning, how to care for the herbs they bought last week, or swapping recipes for this week’s selection. Children try samples, eating fruits and vegetables that never would have caught their eye at a supermarket. You smile at a friendly face and begin your own adventure through the market…
Shopping at Farmers’ Markets is viewed as an inconvenience by most people as we live in an era where supermarkets seem to offer anything we could want, anytime we want it. However, it is time that we slow down and start to critically think about where our food is coming from. Not to mention, the plethora of extra benefits local markets can have on your health!
Farmers’ Markets offer fresher produce but also an environment that welds together a community [1,4]. This helps to form social connections, either between customers who visit and shop together, or between customers and vendors [1,4]. Relationships between farmers and consumers usually continue to grow as the customer becomes a regular, and there is a certain level of recognition between them that can also help the farmer to learn what type of product the customer likes best [4]. As discussed in previous blogs, scientists can see that building up social relationships like these can make your life healthier, longer, and just more fun [6]! The environment at the market is also stimulating, providing many opportunities for experiences through sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing [1]. Being exposed to stimulating environments could help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia by helping the hippocampus form new neurons and reduce levels of tau and beta amyloid buildups [1]. Just going to the Farmers’ Market is enough to benefit your brain! But let’s look at the advantages the market’s produce has over your typical supermarket.
The produce sold at the farmers’ market is typically at its peak freshness [4,5]. Farmers will prepare their goods the night before or morning of a market, meaning your groceries aren’t spending days in the back of a semi-truck before they make it to your table [4,5]. Since the fruits and vegetables are fresher, they will last longer, taste better, and retain more of their nutrients than the ones at the grocery store [4]. Different nutrients in your food include macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats may not change too much over a couple days, but the micronutrients certainly do [8]. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that help your body to function properly, such as iron or Vitamin C, and if your body does not get enough of these micronutrients then you may develop a deficiency [9]. This is why eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that are fresh and have minimal contact with chemicals is crucial to being healthy [8,9].
Since farmers’ market vendors prepare their produce so close to when they sell them, they can avoid using pesticides and other chemicals that corporations use to make their products last longer [5]. Plus, the selection farmers provide is typically limited to what is in season- meaning the produce you are getting is in its prime to be harvested and eaten [4,5]. While this may mean you have less selection available at the market, eating in season can be cheaper than the supermarket [4,5]. There is also a possibility you find a wider variety of produce at your local farmers’ market compared to the super stores because farmers are not limited to selling what looks traditional to customers [4,5]. Plus, if the customer is curious about what something is, they can ask the person who grew it right then and there [4,5]! Children are also more likely to branch out and try new foods if they get to be part of the process of shopping for them [1]. The market is the perfect place for this as most vendors offer samples of their goods and getting to interact with the person who grew the food could help make a positive association for the child [1].
If you don’t want to purchase produce strictly based on what is in season, consider purchasing what is in season at the market and getting your out of season items at the store! Below is a guide of what to shop for in each season:
Want to know an extra special perk of shopping at the Emporia Farmers Market?
If you use SNAP to pay for your groceries, the Emporia Farmers Market will DOUBLE your SNAP dollars when you swipe your EBT card there! The Market will match your SNAP dollars with Double Up Food Bucks [2]. The Double Up Food Bucks can only be used for fresh fruits and vegetables, however, that frees up your SNAP dollars to be able to provide other grocery items [2]. For example, if you go to the Emporia Farmers Market with $25 SNAP dollars, you can also get $25 Double Up Food Bucks, totaling $50 to spend at the Market! To find out how to shop with SNAP, visit the market manager or a volunteer during open hours! They would be happy to help you out!
Not local to Emporia? It is very common for farmers markets across the country to have similar programs [4]! Use this link to visit the Double Up Food Bucks website for Kansas and Missouri to find a doubling market near you: https://www.doubleupheartland.org
The Emporia Farmers Market has started its summer season and is off to a great start! They are open in the 7th & Merchant parking lot, on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. [2]! They even have an indoor venue for during the winter months, so the market never has to close during the year. There is a website and a Facebook page where you can track updates and learn about upcoming events:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emporiaFM/
Check out some of the delicious and fresh items present at recent markets, as well as some creative crafts and art! A full list of vendors can be found here: https://www.emporiafarmersmarket.org/events
Notice: This author is not affiliated with the Emporia's Farmer Market or any other farmer's market.
Sources
[1]. Andrews LA. Four brain benefits from the farmers’ market. Psychology Today. July 16, 2012. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201207/four-brain-benefits-the-farmers-market.
[2]. Emporia Farmers Market. 2022. Accessed June 12, 2022. https://www.emporiafarmersmarket.org/gallery
[3]. Emporia Farmers Market Facebook page. Shhhh, it’s a secret… Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/emporiaFM/
[4]. Farmers Markets: Fresh, Nutritious, Local (USDA). Youtube. May 10, 2012. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ZaVZpFSMM&t=254s
[5]. Healthy eating: The benefits of farmer’s markets. Bethesda: Exceptional Senior Living, Care, and Services. June 25, 2015. Accessed June 12, 2022. https://bethesdahealth.org/blog/2015/06/25/healthy-eating-the-benefits-of-farmers-markets/
[6]. Mayo Clinic. Friendships enrich your life and improve your health. January 12, 2022. Accessed May 17, 2022.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860
[7]. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Seasonal produce guide. 2022. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide
[8]. What are micronutrients and macronutrients. Rocky Mountains Health Plans. 2022. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.rmhp.org/blog/2020/august/what-are-micronutrients-and-macronutrients.
[9]. World Health Organization. Micronutrients. 2022. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.who.int/health-topics/micronutrients#tab=tab_1