Shopping at your local farmers market is a great way to support your local community and eat healthier. We’re lucky to live in the lower mainland because we have access to a variety of farmers markets. Shopping from your local farmers market can reduce emissions caused by produce having to make long trips to get to top grocery stores. Farmers markets also provide nutritional and fresh products for yummy healthy meal ideas. Below are three great reasons to shop at your local farmers market. If you have any other reasons to add, leave a comment on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear about your experiences at your local farmer’s market.
Educate Yourself and Your Kids
The Farmer’s Markets can teach you a lot about seasonal fruits and vegetables in your area. By interacting with your local farmers and community members, you can learn which produce are native to your area, which vegetables are the best for which time of the year and how to grow vegetables yourself.
Attending a farmers market with your kids can teach them about where farms are located and how food is grown naturally. You can teach them the importance of eating local foods and how that can positively impact the community. If they are young and still learning new words, you can teach them the names and how to recognize certain fruits and vegetables.
Farmer’s Markets provide a great venue to learn how your food gets on the table. Learning more about the food you eat gives you an appreciation for your meals. It can also make you more aware of the nutritional value of your food, leading to a healthier lifestyle.
Have Fun with the Family
Vegetables and fruits are not the only items available at Farmers Market. When you visit your local farmers market, especially during winter or summer, there are a number of other vendors ranging from candle makers, jewelers, artists and musicians. You can enjoy meeting a range of people from your community and experience a variety of different types of local products and talent with your family. A farmers market has something for the whole family and is a great way to spend an afternoon! A farmers market is a place for all community members, even your dog.
Going to the farmers market is a great way to get some fresh air on a sunny day. You also have the added bonus of getting your kids away from their PlayStations and TVs for an afternoon!
Find New Recipes
If you’re tired of your regular meals at home, a farmers market is a great space to learn new ways of cooking your food. Farmers have insight into new recipes and unique ways to cook their vegetables and fruits, so you’re bound to learn new recipes if you chat with them. Some farmers are passionate cooks that can give you unique ways to cook local foods that you may have never thought of before. Local vendors can provide different types of hunny, jam and other foods can give your next meal a whole new flavour or texture.
If you’re looking to get healthy, farmers markets can encourage healthy eating and teach you how to cook healthy meals. You can even make your existing meals healthier by adding new vegetables and fruits for further nutrition.
Try spending some quality time with your family and get your grocery shopping done at the same time at the farmers market. There’s one in just about every community in the lower mainland so find the one closest to you here.
