You know what’s another disadvantage of food traveling thousands of miles before it reaches your dinner table? Harmful emissions to the environment. Farmers markets can save you from that! In fact, many of the products available at a farmer’s market are prepared without the antibiotics and chemicals that are generally used to make produce last a long time.

Organic options often abound at a farmers market. Farmers market food is usually higher in nutrients than those raised with harmful chemicals, and it usually lacks neurotoxins that can be harmful to the brain and nerve cells. Generally, small farmers who are raising organic produce are also more concerned about the environment.

When you buy food at the grocery store, only about 16 percent of it goes to the farmer. The other 84 percent goes to marketing, staffing, and transportation. When you buy at a farmers market, almost 100 percent of the money stays in the local community. It’s this local community that will be there for you when times get tough.

When shopping at a local farmers market, not as much money is spent on marketing. Therefore, the food is often cheaper. In fact, the different vendors usually set their own prices because they try to beat the prices at the next stall – and you benefit from competition. Why save sleep when you can save money?

The vendors want to convince you to buy their products, so they’re happy to answer your questions. Since they’re usually the ones growing the food, they’re experts in the field. No more hunting down a clerk in the grocery store – and then realizing that clerk has never eaten the food and has no idea what it tastes like.

Many consumers would love to try new foods, but have no idea how to prepare them. Vendors at a farmers market know how to prepare the food they sell, because it’s what they’re eating in their own homes. In addition, these vendors often offer free recipes or samples of the food.

Since farmers selling at local farmers markets are able to grow food in smaller amounts, they can experiment with foods and end up with products that you won’t find in larger grocery stores. For example, they often sell heirloom varieties that will simply amaze you. Buyers can save the seeds from these vegetables and plant them in their own garden next year.

When you shop in a grocery store, you’re never REALLY sure where your food comes from. It may be some foreign country that lacks the safeguards built into the United States food system. When you buy at a farmers market, you know where your food comes from – and may even drive by it on a regular basis.

In addition to the freshest food available, shoppers at farmers markets often find random things that they simply must buy. Some farmers markets offer handmade clothes, while others offer fresh baked cakes, pies, and breads. The variety of products available at a farmers market usually changes on a regular basis and depends on what’s in season.