By Katie Willis
Farmers’ market season is upon us; soon our shoulders will bear the weight of canvas bags filled with heirloom tomatoes, Chilton County peaches, and ears Silver Queen sweet corn. Whether they are a Saturday morning ritual with the whole family or a quick Tuesday evening stop on your way home from work, farmers markets allow you to connect with and consume the changing seasons.
Finding the right market and learning all of its specificities can seem daunting in the beginning. What should be a relaxed and fulfilling outing can quickly become overwhelming, especially for folks trying out the market for the first time. Farmers’ markets are different from the grocery store, and different from one another, and often operate on a set of unspoken rules that no one tells you in advance.
We’re here with a crash course in farmers markets, so you don’t feel left to wander up and down the rows and rows of white tents doing all the wrong things — and hopefully so that more first-time customers might feel comfortable trying out a farmers market near them this season!
How to choose a market
Just like the farmers and their products, farmers’ markets have unique personalities, characteristics, and offerings. They are all different, and you may find some more suited to your needs and preferences than others.
Ask yourself: What do I want to buy – fruits and veggies; meats and eggs; value-added items like breads, cheeses, dips, and soaps; prepared foods like sandwiches; and/or arts and crafts? Do I want a market with a vibe like a county fair or festival, or something a little more strictly-business?
What days and times am I available to go to the market? How do I plan to pay? What markets are accessible and conveniently located?
Why are farmers’ markets important to me? What do I hope to get out of my market: more sustainably raised food, a face-to-face connection with local farmers, a replacement for the grocery store, a community experience?
If you don’t know the answers to all these questions, don’t worry — try testing out a few markets and see how they feel.
Finding a market:
Check out www.fma.alabama.gov/fmcounty.aspx for a statewide list of farmers markets by county, and www.localharvest.org/ for a map of farmers markets (and farms, CSAs, u-pick farms, and more). ASAN produced Local Food & Farm Guides for the Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile / Gulf Coast areas.
A word of caution: farmers markets are constantly popping up, changing locations/open days, and sometimes shutting down, so be sure to contact the markets listed, to confirm any information you find.
Producer-Only Markets
Many markets have policies regulating what kinds of products their vendors can sell. Some markets are “producer-only” markets, which means that the person selling the products is the person who grew, raised, and/or made them. The “producer-only” designation is intended to make sure that consumers who think they’re buying from local farmers, actually are. As such it prohibits the practice of reselling (in which a vendor sells products bought wholesale, often from producers outside the area). Drilling down, however, the designation is applied slightly differently, market to market, and so gets a little trickier for vendors selling breads, teas, candies, and other value-added products — if you mixed or steeped the tea, or baked the bread, but other people grew the ingredients, who “produced” it? It’s not always obvious, so feel free to ask a farmer or vendor about the origins of their products.
Payment Options
Not all farmers’ markets and/or vendors are able to accept credit cards, food stamps, or farmers’ market coupons. At some markets, individual vendors may opt to accept those forms of payment. Know that doing so often incurs additional cost to them (compared with cash), so they may not let you (or be happy about letting you) swipe your card just for a one or two dollar bunch of radishes. If you aren’t sure, ask the vendor before you load your bag with produce, wrap yourself a bouquet, or bite into a cream cheese danish.
That said, many farmers’ markets make accepting all forms of currency a breeze. Look for an information booth to ask about tokens for electronic payment. In this system, the market runs your credit or EBT card for the amount you desire, and gives you tokens with which to pay for your purchases.
If your method of payment is not accepted at your favorite farmers’ market, contact the market manager to find out if there are public board meetings you can attend to make a suggestion.
Accessibility
When heading out the door to the market, give some thought to your physical (and emotional) needs. Markets vary in size and scope. At some markets, convenient parking is often impossible to find. If walking long distances is difficult for you, consider a more accessible market: one with handicap parking, fewer vendors, and/or wide rows and a smooth terrain.
Then there’s the question of determining the importance of actual market accessibility, consider how you plan to protecting your emotional health. How do you feel about shopping in the rain? Or sweating through your clothes before 9 o’clock? Or big dogs who don’t pick up on social cues? Keep in mind that at some markets, at the height of the season, crowds swell and dogs and strollers make maneuvering difficult, which can cause anxiety and stress. Make sure you come prepared for large crowds. Bring a cellphone. Keep your children close. And plan out an emergency meeting place. Even the smallest amount of self-care can aid in your market success.
DOs and DON’Ts of Farmers Markets
Though the list below is by no means complete and universal, it may help you have a more successful and enjoyable trek through the markets this summer.
- DO check first to see if a particular market allows pets. If so, pay attention to where your pets wander and DO keep them leashed, close, and under constant surveillance. DO remember to watch where they poop and always clean up after them. Always be sensitive to those market customers who may fear or not like dogs of any size.
- DON’T squeeze produce! Fruits like tomatoes and peaches bruise easily and when customers innocently “test their ripeness,” they cause damage to the products. Remember, you are one of many to come by the booth on market day.
- DO ask questions! Obviously don’t talk endlessly and clog up the line of paying customers, but get to know your farmer and their farming and growing practices. Ask about what’s going on at the farm, or their favorite way to prepare whatever you just bought. Most farmers love to cook and are excited to share their recipes with you.
- DON’T let the good hype around local, sustainable food pull the (organic, pasture-raised, artisanal) wool over your eyes — be discerning, ask questions, and pay attention to your gut. As one ASAN Facebook follower advised, “Look at what all the farms are growing. If only one guy has potatoes in August, there’s a good chance he’s not growing it himself.” Sadly, despite best efforts, this is often true even at producer-only markets.
- DON’T question prices or try to haggle. Most vendors at the farmers’ market are selling to make a living and support themselves and their families. Sometimes farmers’ market prices can be hard to stomach, but remember, if you wouldn’t do it at the grocery store, don’t do it at the market.
- DO, on the other hand, educate yourself on the real cost of food and take that into account when you shell out a few extra bucks for those organic eggs or those heirloom heads of garlic.
- DON’T feel like you have to buy from every vendor, or that asking a question means you’ve committed to a purchase. Remember, farmers expect questions. They expect window-shopping. The entire future of their farm is not hinging on your guiltily buying that one basket of squash.
- DO always thank your farmer. Appreciate them and they’ll appreciate you.
- DON’T assume the women behind the tent only grew the flowers. Women are farmers, too, and you might be surprised that they are making a big impact by entering the farming world at ever-increasing rates. (The same is true for minority farmers!)
- DO bring your own bags, whenever you can, and a cooler if you’re not planning to bring your purchases straight home. For many fruits and veggies, keeping them chilled is key to their longevity; produce that bakes in your hot car for several hours may not make it past the next morning.
- DO make a loop (or two or three) around the farmers’ market. There’s no need to rush, unless the market’s closing; take your time and be intentional about your purchases.
- DO remember that arriving at the beginning of the market allows you first pick of the day’s selections and that showing up 20 minutes before the market ends means there might be slim pickings on the tables.
- DON’T arrive at the end of market and offer to pay farmers a measly sum for their remaining produce; it’s not fair to the vendors or other customers who’ve paid full price all day. And DON’T arrive early and expect farmers to sell to you before the market opens. These are implicit norms but in many cases also explicitly stated in market rules.
- DON’T expect your vegetables and meat to look and taste like food from the grocery store. Varieties will differ — which may mean better taste — and therefore so will shapes, colors, and sizes! DO remain open to a little bug damage on your veggies, especially if they’re sustainably/ organically grown, and know that this doesn’t mean they are spoiled or low-quality. Animals’ bodies develop differently when they are able to move around freely and consume a more natural and diverse diet, so meats will likely vary in taste and texture from grocery-store meat. DO ask the farmer for advice on how to tweak your cooking habits to account for the differences.
- DO build a relationship with the vendors you like! Ask how much longer certain products will be available, or what new crops may be available in the coming weeks. Ask if they are at market every week, so you won’t be surprised or confused when one week they’re suddenly missing.
- DO take it to the next level! Individual farmers and markets alike, often have email lists and social media pages where they make announcements about vendors/products for the coming market, weather closures, special events and offers, etc.
Farmers’ markets provide a space for customers to build relationships with the people growing and producing their food, and in doing so, to learn more about the full life of their food and the lives it has touched before reaching the table. Customers come to understand the work required to cultivate their food, the importance of sustainable farming practices, and the differences in industrially raised grocery-store products and ones that are fresh and locally, humanely, and lovingly produced.
Farmers’ markets can be beautiful sites of social cohesion and community, as they bring people together to enjoy, celebrate, and appreciate food. One Tuscaloosa-area farmer explained, “markets are one of my favorite days because your work finds a home in the mouths of many people. People are at a farmers market for the experience they share with the person growing their food and it’s really gratifying to know I’m a part in that symbiotic relationship. It’s really hard to underestimate the joy one can receive from feeling a connection, no matter how superficial, that is both continuous and enduring.” Though you won’t find every farmer at the market ready to wax poetic about the joys of selling their produce, many enjoy the weekly respite from laboring in the field and the chance to demonstrate the importance of their work.
All the ways that farmers’ markets differ from more commercialized, industrialized, anonymous means of buying food (think grocery stores, but also online shopping services, etc) are opportunities to invest in and grow a better, more locally rooted, more inclusive food system and food culture. They are also opportunities for first-time market-goers to feel intimidated and out of place.
Hopefully this article can begin to build a bridge to make “crossover” a bit smoother and easier. But if you are an experienced market-goer, market vendor, or market manager/volunteer, keep an eye out for opportunities to make your market more approachable and navigable to newbies. The future of our markets depends on it.