May 22nd, 2009

By Christopher Peake
Green Right Now

Thinking of heading out to your friendly farmer’s market to celebrate the start of summer? Here are some tips to help you maximize the experience.

COME EARLY

Get there as soon as the market opens … the bigger the market the more customers there will be … vendors are in a better mood than we’ll be later in the day …

BRING YOUR OWN BAGS

All vendors have bags but with the exception of the odd paper bag vendor (they cost vendors more money than plastic, so fewer have them) you’ll be toting home thin plastic bags.

BRING CASH

All vendors take cash, many take checks and none take plastic. Few Farmer’s Markets have ATM’s conveniently nearby, so cash is king.

DRESS COMFORTABLY

Dress as though you’ll be on your feet for a period of time, because you will be. Dress for the weather: it’s usually chillier in the morning so layer. If it’s an afternoon FM wear a hat and comfortable clothing. Shoes are especially important: not flip-flops or clunky boots. You’re there for comfort, not fashion. All too often we see people come to our windy seacoast New Hampshire hilltop market in October shivering in shorts and a thin jacket. What were they thinking? And parking is often inconvenient so think about walking back to the car with armloads of groceries; it’s not a supermarket so there are no carts or baskets.

DON‘T RUSH

Relax, enjoy yourself! When you get there take some time to walk around, see what’s what and who does a nice job of displaying their goods, who looks serious and who looks like an amateur. Depending on the time of day and the weather, get a drink and something to nibble on while you cruise. Eating as you go is key to how much you buy: if you’re hungry you’re apt to buy more food than you need. If you’re not so hungry you’ll buy in proportion to your needs.

PICKING THE BEST PRODUCE

It’s all fresh, so the rule of thumb is to pick the produce that most appeals to your eye. I’ve set out 30 pint boxes of berries and had customers stand there agonizing over which box looks the best. No point telling them they’re all the same because to a customer they’re NOT all the same. If it’s something you have chosen then you feel you got a bargain it tastes that much better. If you have a particular need for a smaller amount than you see ask for a smaller amount … you’ll usually get it. If not, go to another vendor.

A tip on corn: if the stalk (cut) end is moist and white, it’s fresh.

Pages: 1 2