Farmer's Markets

[CryingEmo]

So we have this awsome Farmer's Market in town that has a plethora of organic foods brought in fresh from local amish / ameninites (sp?). In any case, this food has several advantages over supermarket foods:

* Cheaper
* Fresher
* Not processed
* Organic
* Better taste


At the same time, when I'm buying things from the market, I'm getting free things left and right for buying over X amount of food. I got a free LB of sausage when I bought 3 LB's of lean ground beef. I got 4 free hotdog things when I bought 2 dozen organic / free range eggs.

I really think these markets are superior to supermarket giants. It may be nessasary to still use both, but I think you can get better meats, steaks, chicken, eggs, cheeses, for cheaper.


Thoughts?

 

[Mulletsoldier]

Farmer/Local markets are amazing for unprocessed produce. I wish there was one within a reasonable range of where I live.

The prices are much, much cheaper than mass supermarkets, and as you said, bartering is abound.

 

[OCCFan023]

I would kill for a farmers market to be in my area (theres a couple of fresh markets I like though. Quite expensive but quality always is). Their quality of food pertaining to vitamins, minerals, and overall amounts of both of the aforementioned are just so high. I try to get organic milk, vegetables, meat/poultry but farmers markets ftw.

 

[DmitryWI]

Yea, they've got a few of them going just about every weekend around Portland area unfortunately I don't go there as often as I should.

 

[LeeN]

Is it really less expensive? Seems like all the organic products that I see seem to be more, but I've never been to a farmer's market.

 

[Australian made]

So we have this awsome Farmer's Market in town that has a plethora of organic foods brought in fresh from local amish / ameninites (sp?). In any case, this food has several advantages over supermarket foods:

* Cheaper
* Fresher
* Not processed
* Organic
* Better taste


At the same time, when I'm buying things from the market, I'm getting free things left and right for buying over X amount of food. I got a free LB of sausage when I bought 3 LB's of lean ground beef. I got 4 free hotdog things when I bought 2 dozen organic / free range eggs.

I really think these markets are superior to supermarket giants. It may be nessasary to still use both, but I think you can get better meats, steaks, chicken, eggs, cheeses, for cheaper.


Thoughts?

Word!!

I also like handing over my money to them more then a major supermarket. Farmers get royally screwed these days.

 

[T-Bone]

They are all over the place here. I never have went to one though. Never thought about it actually. There are at least 5 of them within 10 miles of me. 1000's within the state.

 

[T-Bone]

Maybe I'll go and pick up some vegetables sometime. Usually I just drive by and ignore them.

 

[CryingEmo]

Maybe I'll go and pick up some vegetables sometime. Usually I just drive by and ignore them.

I don't mean little farmer's stands...


I mean this Farmer's Market tookover the same building food lion used to own, and it has more food in it now.

 

[Nightwanderer]

I think it depends on how laid back or snobby the neighborhood is in general though.When I lived in the bay area of CA, smaller towns like gilroy or larger cities that are more down to earth like San Jose, etc you get a more legit farmer's market. Now i live in Jupiter, FL which is in the west palm beach area. It's snob-ville and the farmer's markets are an overpriced joke.

 

[Mulletsoldier]

Is it really less expensive? Seems like all the organic products that I see seem to be more, but I've never been to a farmer's market.

Organic is a very deceptive and ubiquitous label that at its base means, "no artificial i.e., manufactured components as major ingredients". That does not mean:

a) the fruit/product/bread/whatever is free of pesticides or hormones

b) the aforementioned product was organically (i.e., with no hormones, pesticides, or preservatives) grown

c) the aforementioned product was sustainably grown or cultivated

People get duped into buying the same shitty food because it says 'Organic'. Farmer's markets are direct source retail markets - that is, there is no shipping and handling, marketing, wage or transport fee that raises $1.00 strawberries to $3.95.

 

[Nightwanderer]

Organic is a very deceptive and ubiquitous label that at its base means, "no artificial i.e., manufactured components as major ingredients". That does not mean:

a) the fruit/product/bread/whatever is free of pesticides or hormones

b) the aforementioned product was organically (i.e., with no hormones, pesticides, or preservatives) grown

c) the aforementioned product was sustainably grown or cultivated

People get duped into buying the same shitty food because it says 'Organic'. Farmer's markets are direct source retail markets - that is, there is no shipping and handling, marketing, wage or transport fee that raises $1.00 strawberries to $3.95.

yeah, I hate marketing abuse of the all natural/organic market. People give me weird looks in the grocery store because sometimes you have to sit & read a food's packaging for like 5 minutes to be sure it really is what it says it is.

 

[CryingEmo]

Organic is a very deceptive and ubiquitous label that at its base means, "no artificial i.e., manufactured components as major ingredients". That does not mean:

a) the fruit/product/bread/whatever is free of pesticides or hormones

b) the aforementioned product was organically (i.e., with no hormones, pesticides, or preservatives) grown

c) the aforementioned product was sustainably grown or cultivated

People get duped into buying the same shitty food because it says 'Organic'. Farmer's markets are direct source retail markets - that is, there is no shipping and handling, marketing, wage or transport fee that raises $1.00 strawberries to $3.95.

Unless it's a huge conspiracy, I have a feeling that my farmer's market is ran by real ameninites that have healthier cows with less antibiotics and hormones (i get enough of those already lol).

 

[Mulletsoldier]

No, I know, I meant 'organic' labeled foods in supermarkets. Farmer markets are good to go.

 

[CryingEmo]

No, I know, I meant 'organic' labeled foods in supermarkets. Farmer markets are good to go.

Oh, word up.

 

[OCCFan023]

I just ran a search for farmers markets in my are and found a few (1 is actually already open as well). Going to hit that up next Saturday for some quality produce.

 

[Dadof2]

I am currently working on two gardens. One consist of a variety of vegetables:

eggplant
bellpeppers
squash
corn
okra
watermelon

and the other is exclusively a tomato garden.

I am going to participate in my local farmers market for the first time this year. Hopefully I will have some success selling my produce.

During the Fall I am going to buy about 10 head of feeder calves,(and one pregnant cow for some milk :woohoo and allow them to graze until Spring. Then I am going to have one slaughtered and processed for my family, and the rest I am going to sell. If all goes well with that, I may go into the grass fed beef business.