What We’ve Learned From Two Months Of Shopping At Farmers Markets AND Today’s Farmers Market Haul

Today was a good day at the farmers markets! We hit two local FMs in our county. They both had great produce and meats…and tons of other products. We were able to purchase some amazing fruits and vegetables!

I love shopping for locally grow produce. We are becoming good friends with our growers and ranchers and they love to answer our questions. There are so many options and even some lesser known vegetables and fruits to try.

We came home with sacks full of goodies like a good shopper will do. hopefully none of it will go bad in the crisper. We definitely a weeks worth of groceries.

The hot season (temperatures) are wreaking havoc on my tomato crop. We need some rain asap! Seasonal issues are just something we’re going to have to deal with as garden across the area are suffering in this heat. We’ll get used to it.

Meal planning and shopping are becoming our norm as we transition into this healthy lifestyle. NOTE: If you’re going to head out to the farmers market as part of your healthy journey…take cash as some vendors don’t take credit cards. most do though…just a heads up.

Also…take your own reusable bags if possible. Most vendors have bags, but having your own will reduce waste. AND…take a cold bag with you if you are going to buy beef, poultry, pork, milk, etc. Especially if you’re going to visit more than one farmers market or produce stand. Keep those meats cold people! Oh…and don’t forget eggs. Fresh eggs are available in abundance at the farmers markets!

Make sure you get to the markets early to get the best produce AND to ensure they have the fruits and veggies you want. Our corn supplier sells out within the first hour! He’s got good product! With that being said…if you are at the FM toward closing time…they give you great discounts so that they don’t have to take the produce back to their farms and possibly throw it away.

And of course there’s peace in knowing that you can choose farmers that don’t use pesticides and ranchers that raise grass fed beef and free range chickens. As we continue down the path of healthy living, one thing we’ve agreed on is that we want to be as far removed from processed foods and take in more wholesome natural produce and meats. That’s a priority. We believe a lot of the health issues we’re seeing in America are due to pesticides, added hormones, and stressed cattle, chickens, and hogs that are masses produced. We’re all in on all natural!

Today’s Farmers Market Haul…water melon, cantaloupe, squash, tomatoes, corn on the cob, zucchini, cucumbers, purple onions, mushrooms, pan pork sausage, t-bone steak, hamburger patties, fresh salsa, and jalapeño cheddar pork sausage! Yummy #fruits and #veggies for the week!