Support your Local Farmers' Market
Michael at Greenmarket’s City Saucery stand, NYC
August 1-7 marks National Farmers Market Week! A time to honor our local farmer and producer. Are you supporting your farmers market this week? Year round? If not, what are you waiting for? We need your support all year long so as far as we’re concerned it’s farmers market week every week!
As global food distribution has become the norm these days (thanks to grocery chains like Walmart and Trader Joe’s, etc) we have gotten accustomed to eating our produce, meats and fish year round, without even thinking about when these different items are in season. In fact, more than half of the fresh fruit sold in the USA are now all imported. There are farmers who grow produce and raise animals in every state and catch fish along every coastline. Why do we keep supporting global distribution over regional distribution?
OK I get it, you need that extra virgin olive oil from Sicily (not gonna lie, I do too) but I’m talking about the bigger picture here. A regional food system is a far more sustainable food system. We all witnessed this during the pandemic when some of the more complicated supply chains struggled and farmers markets remained an essential source of safe and healthy food. In general, farmers markets were able to pivot rather quickly, become food distribution points and adapt to public health requirements (we experienced this most during the pandemic). By selling directly to customers, farmers markets provide higher returns on investment for both farmers and producers than selling strictly wholesale. We (i.e., City Saucery are living proof of this).
Farmers markets also offer an opportunity to learn more about your food source (where it’s actually grown/raised and who’s making it).
Markets create relationships between producers and customers and create an active community around a shared food system. That’s crucial in today’s digital age where people barely know how to communicate at all online.
Locally grown foods have more nutritional benefits too, including the lower amounts of energy + pollution involved with transporting them to market and your kitchen table. Farmers markets support regional economies and encourage the continued operation of small farms. For those reasons, regionally grown foods are better choices than fruits and vegetables that travel long distances. In a nutshell, go and get your food supply at your farmers market. Greenmarket (throughout NYC) is overflowing with fresh and delicious fruits right now so take advantage of the season since it’s a short one here.
Cherry tomato varieties at Union Square Greenmarket, NYC
Depending on where you live in the USA, locally grown produce may be available at farmers’ markets or through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program – those fresh fruits and vegetables were likely harvested within a day or so of reaching you, so their nutrient content is at its absolute best. Even when shopping at a supermarket, remember that buying out of season means it was probably harvested weeks earlier and has lost nutritional value in transit. Enjoy the wait for fresh produce when they’re in season, then enjoy how good they actually and truly taste.