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Top Tips to Get the Most from Your Fall Farmers Market

Fall Farmers Market Nutrition

Your local fall farmers market is one of the best places for you to go for healthy food that will taste incredible and will best suit your weight loss strategy.  After all, you don’t get fresher food than what the growers will sell you on the day (or day after) the food was picked. The fresher your veggies, the better they’ll taste and the more nutrients you’ll get per calorie.

That said, the last thing you want to do is head to the fall farmers market, fill your arms with bags of incredible produce, only to let it spoil in your fridge because you didn’t eat it. Use the following tips to help you to get the most out of this incredible opportunity at this time of year.

Understand What’s in Season at a Fall Farmer’s Market

Learning some quick and easy facts about the veggies grown in your area can help you to get the most out of the fall farmers market. If you know what’s in season, you’ll be able to make the most nutritious and delicious decisions at each stall. Don’t be afraid to ask the sellers which items they grew themselves on their own land.  Many sellers will sell exclusively their own product.  Some will sell their own as well as a few items on behalf of other local sellers.  That said, some are simply resellers just like your local supermarket.

Choose the Best Time to Shop

Busy markets can get very crowded just at their opening time and right before they close. Various times during the market can have different advantages.  If you want the best possible selection of foods, showing up with the crowd at the beginning will be best for you.  Since the opening time is busy, the best items will sell early.

That said, if you want the best deals, show up before closing time.  You may not have the selection, but you can enjoy the fact that vendors will often mark down their products to sell them instead of having to bring them all back home again. You won’t get deep discounts, but if you buy enough items, the slight savings can add up.  Keep in mind that some markets have rules against haggling or end-of-day discounts. Also, remember that farmers grow this food for a living and must pay for their vendors table. This means that they won’t be able to afford huge discounts and it’s usually considered to be rude to ask for it.

Bring Small Bills, Change and Bags

Vendors may offer bags, but they’re typically poor quality and are completely unnecessary if you just bring your own.  Reuse your own plastic bags or bring your reusable totes and produce bags.  It will also help you to feel good knowing you’re doing something good for the environment and you’re saving the farmer a bit of money for each bag they don’t have to hand out.  It’s also important to bring small change to the fall farmers market because it can be tough for them to make exact change for you.  Indeed, they may have Square, but that will cost them a percentage of the sale. Let them make the most possible by paying with exact change.