Michele Anna Jordan has been writing about shopping at farmers markets for the Press Democrat for the last fifteen years. She takes a look back at her first column and offers a great bit of history of the Original Certified Santa Rosa Farmers Market and her column.
Here’s her list:
Strategies for Successful Farm Market Shopping
- Take a cooler with ice (for dairy products, poultry, seafood, and strawberries) and a bucket of water (for flowers).
- Keep several strong cloth or string bags in your car.
- Remember to take small bills and plenty of change (in larger markets, guard against pickpockets, a potential problem as markets become more popular).
- Go early and walk the market before making your purchases; taste and compare whenever possible.
- Don’t shop with a list—look for what is at its peak, then build a meal around it. A well-stocked pantry of staples (olive oils, vinegars, spices, pasta, beans and other legumes, and frozen homemade stocks) back home makes this a breeze.
- Take large or heavy items to your car immediately, or ask the farmer to set them aside for you.
- Don’t barter over small items, only large quantities (lugs of peaches, for example) near the end of the market day.
- Remember to bring sunscreen in warm weather.
- Ask questions even if you think you know the answer (it’s often not what you expect).
- Relax and try not to hurry. The pleasure of being at the market is nearly as important as your purchases.
- Put your car keys in your pocket or purse before you begin shopping.
read more from this column originally published April 23, 1997
In today’s column there is a little more market history both column have wonderful seasonal recipes
Do you have a tip for shopping at the market?
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