Farmers Markets are an excellent way for consumers to enjoy fresh, great tasting farm products while stimulating the local economy and preserving small farms and local communities. Not only can the experience be fun and exciting, it also strengthens our connection to our food source and the people who grow it. Farmers markets in North Carolina are plentiful and with consumer support they may become more practical and convenient as a primary source of fresh, nutritious food. This page provides consumers with helpful information on farmers markets and how to make the experience enjoyable and beneficial.
 high
- demand items are sold within the first few hours.
Change your approach to shopping for food. Rather than going to the farmers market in search of ingredients for a particular recipe, browse through the entire market and use creativity in deciding how you may be able to use the produce that's in season. Unlike supermarkets, you will mainly find only produce that is in season. Learn to "eat in season." Become familiar with the varieties of produce available at certain times of the year. Interact with the farmers. Farmers are usually very eager to share information on how the food is grown and the best way to prepare, store or preserve it. Some may offer information on their farm and farming practices. The more you know about the food and how it was produced, the better you can appreciate the amount of time and work that goes into farming. This will also help you better understand farmers' pricing system.
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have the time, equipment and knowledge to process the food properly before
it spoils. Acquiring new ways of cooking with fresh farm products makes
it easier for a family to use locally grown food as a primary food source.
Proper knowledge about how certain foods should be stored increases their
shelf life and reduces spoilage. Learning how to preserve food through
various freezing and canning methods makes it possible to enjoy fresh farm
products year round. The farmers who grow the food are often the best source
of information on these topics.
Listed below are useful web sites with useful
information on storing, preparing and preserving fresh farm products:
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addition to serving as a place of business, farmers markets often serve
as community centers providing education, entertainment and activities
for young people among diverse members of the community. Some farmers markets
offer cooking demonstrations or workshops on canning and preserving.
Some provide entertainment in the form of live music or festivals at different
times of the year celebrating a harvest season (blueberry, strawberry,
peach and turnip festivals). Activities for children, such as story telling
and other educational activities, are also common. Interacting with farmers
enables us to put a face to our food. Meeting up with friends, family and
community are other reasons why people come to farmers markets.
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Many
farmers markets have developed special assistance programs in conjunction
with local and federal agencies to serve low-income families and the elderly
population. There is a strong need for affordable and nutritious food among
these populations and farmers markets can provide ways to make these foods
more accessible. Many farmers markets are USDA certified to accept food
stamps. In addition, many participate in the Farmer's Market Nutrition
Program (FMNP) for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Through this
program, WIC women receive coupons to be used only at farmers markets for
the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. For more information
on the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), please visit: