Five reasons you should shop at a farmer’s market
By Becky Oberg
June 11, 2013
It’s about more than supporting a local economy, it’s also about healthy food.
Farmer’s markets have become so popular that the United States Department of Agriculture’s web site has a feature allowing you to find a farmer’s market near you. But why should people shop at farmer’s markets? There are five good reasons.
1) The food is fresher than what you might find at a grocery store. A few years ago, during a food poisoning epidemic caused by Salmonella in eggs, I interviewed Sunday Tyner, an egg vendor from Hoffman Farms. “The longest my eggs have ever sat is two days,” she told me. “When you have eggs shipped, I would estimate that it’d take three or four days.” In the farmer’s market I frequent, produce is often harvested that day or within the past 24 hours. By contrast, you don’t know how long something has been sitting in the store. On more than one occasion I’ve bought something from the store only to have it go bad in a few days.
“Why shop at a Farmers Market?” asks the USDA web site. “Access to fresh, locally grown foods, for starters. That may be one of the best reasons, but there are many more. Farmers markets have fruits and vegetables at the peak of the growing season. This means produce is at its freshest and tastes the best.”
“Freshly picked ripe food is at its peak in flavor and nutrition,” explains Nutrition.gov. “Stop by your local farmers market today, learn about where your food comes from, and enjoy some delicious and nutritious food.”
2) The food is often handled better than food from a factory farm. In addition to many vendors being organic or Certified Humane®, the personal touch of farmer’s market products can often result in healthier food. For example, Tyner told me that eggs have a natural protective barrier that is often removed by the process of factory farming. She, however, hand-cleaned her eggs and air-dried them to leave that layer intact. You’re not going to get that from a factory farm.
3) You can find nutritious food not available at your grocery store. “Farmers markets feature what’s at the peak of season in your region, so you can often find your favorites, along with new items that will stretch your culinary imagination,” explains the USDA’s web site. “Have you ever tasted gooseberries or rhubarb? Seen a Brussels sprout stalk? Slurped a donut peach? These are some things you might find (and be able to sample!) at your local farmers market.”
“Many farmers markets offer lesser known fruits and vegetables, providing a variety that can be both tasty and nutritious,” Nutrition.gov explains.
I’ve never seen apple mint or pollen in the store. I can find both at my favorite farmer’s market, The Original Farmer’s Market at the Indianapolis City Market.
4) The vendors often have information about the product that your store clerk doesn’t know. The first time I bought apple mint, I bought it on a vendor’s recommendation. I wanted to juice it, so she said that was probably the best mint to juice. When I first saw kohlrabi, I had no idea how to eat it, so the vendor explained several ways to do so. Some vendors even hand out recipes.
“On market day, farmers love to share their secrets,” explains the USDA’s web site. “First among them are tips on how to prepare fresh offerings, so if you need to know what to do with kohlrabi or are looking for something to bump up your tomato salsa, just ask.”
5) It’s easier to follow the seasons. At the grocery store, you can usually get the same foods year-round–even if they aren’t in season. Farmer’s markets, by contrast, usually sell what’s in season.
“Just because technology makes it possible for us to have oranges in winter, however, doesn’t mean we should eat all foods whenever we please,” explains NaturalNews.com. “The disadvantages of living in a technologically advanced period with modern day food practices have revealed themselves among us in the form of an increasing number of food intolerances and allergies, higher levels of obesity, modern chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes and much more. … According to many scientists, researchers and natural health experts, eating the right kinds of foods during the right times of year and avoiding them otherwise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Seasonal foods are a way of reconnecting with the organic cycle that nature intended for us.”
The site continues “In a research study conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, notable differences were found in the nutrient content of milk in summer versus winter. Iodine content was higher in the winter and beta-carotene was higher in the summer. The Ministry discovered that these differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows. With more salt-preserved foods in winter and more fresh plants in the summer, cows ended up producing nutritionally different milks during the two seasons. Similarly, researchers in Japan found tremendous differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter. … By eating freshly harvested produce, you will be rotating your foods, thereby keeping your body from developing intolerances to certain foods and reaping the health benefits of a diet that is diverse and naturally detoxifying. Seasonal foods also have a much higher antioxidant content than non-seasonal foods.”
So what’s currently in season? According to Edible Indy, lots of healthy products. Currently, herbs in season are basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme. Furits in season include apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. Vegetables in season are bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, hot peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, snap beans, spinach, summer squash, sweet corn, sweet peppers and tomatoes.
Source: http://www.huliq.com/13314/five-reasons-you-should-shop-farmers-market
Huliq.com
Posted: June 12, 2013 by Certified Humane
Five reasons you should shop at a farmer’s market
By Becky Oberg
June 11, 2013
It’s about more than supporting a local economy, it’s also about healthy food.
Farmer’s markets have become so popular that the United States Department of Agriculture’s web site has a feature allowing you to find a farmer’s market near you. But why should people shop at farmer’s markets? There are five good reasons.
1) The food is fresher than what you might find at a grocery store. A few years ago, during a food poisoning epidemic caused by Salmonella in eggs, I interviewed Sunday Tyner, an egg vendor from Hoffman Farms. “The longest my eggs have ever sat is two days,” she told me. “When you have eggs shipped, I would estimate that it’d take three or four days.” In the farmer’s market I frequent, produce is often harvested that day or within the past 24 hours. By contrast, you don’t know how long something has been sitting in the store. On more than one occasion I’ve bought something from the store only to have it go bad in a few days.
“Why shop at a Farmers Market?” asks the USDA web site. “Access to fresh, locally grown foods, for starters. That may be one of the best reasons, but there are many more. Farmers markets have fruits and vegetables at the peak of the growing season. This means produce is at its freshest and tastes the best.”
“Freshly picked ripe food is at its peak in flavor and nutrition,” explains Nutrition.gov. “Stop by your local farmers market today, learn about where your food comes from, and enjoy some delicious and nutritious food.”
2) The food is often handled better than food from a factory farm. In addition to many vendors being organic or Certified Humane®, the personal touch of farmer’s market products can often result in healthier food. For example, Tyner told me that eggs have a natural protective barrier that is often removed by the process of factory farming. She, however, hand-cleaned her eggs and air-dried them to leave that layer intact. You’re not going to get that from a factory farm.
3) You can find nutritious food not available at your grocery store. “Farmers markets feature what’s at the peak of season in your region, so you can often find your favorites, along with new items that will stretch your culinary imagination,” explains the USDA’s web site. “Have you ever tasted gooseberries or rhubarb? Seen a Brussels sprout stalk? Slurped a donut peach? These are some things you might find (and be able to sample!) at your local farmers market.”
“Many farmers markets offer lesser known fruits and vegetables, providing a variety that can be both tasty and nutritious,” Nutrition.gov explains.
I’ve never seen apple mint or pollen in the store. I can find both at my favorite farmer’s market, The Original Farmer’s Market at the Indianapolis City Market.
4) The vendors often have information about the product that your store clerk doesn’t know. The first time I bought apple mint, I bought it on a vendor’s recommendation. I wanted to juice it, so she said that was probably the best mint to juice. When I first saw kohlrabi, I had no idea how to eat it, so the vendor explained several ways to do so. Some vendors even hand out recipes.
“On market day, farmers love to share their secrets,” explains the USDA’s web site. “First among them are tips on how to prepare fresh offerings, so if you need to know what to do with kohlrabi or are looking for something to bump up your tomato salsa, just ask.”
5) It’s easier to follow the seasons. At the grocery store, you can usually get the same foods year-round–even if they aren’t in season. Farmer’s markets, by contrast, usually sell what’s in season.
“Just because technology makes it possible for us to have oranges in winter, however, doesn’t mean we should eat all foods whenever we please,” explains NaturalNews.com. “The disadvantages of living in a technologically advanced period with modern day food practices have revealed themselves among us in the form of an increasing number of food intolerances and allergies, higher levels of obesity, modern chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes and much more. … According to many scientists, researchers and natural health experts, eating the right kinds of foods during the right times of year and avoiding them otherwise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Seasonal foods are a way of reconnecting with the organic cycle that nature intended for us.”
The site continues “In a research study conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, notable differences were found in the nutrient content of milk in summer versus winter. Iodine content was higher in the winter and beta-carotene was higher in the summer. The Ministry discovered that these differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows. With more salt-preserved foods in winter and more fresh plants in the summer, cows ended up producing nutritionally different milks during the two seasons. Similarly, researchers in Japan found tremendous differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter. … By eating freshly harvested produce, you will be rotating your foods, thereby keeping your body from developing intolerances to certain foods and reaping the health benefits of a diet that is diverse and naturally detoxifying. Seasonal foods also have a much higher antioxidant content than non-seasonal foods.”
So what’s currently in season? According to Edible Indy, lots of healthy products. Currently, herbs in season are basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme. Furits in season include apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. Vegetables in season are bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, hot peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, snap beans, spinach, summer squash, sweet corn, sweet peppers and tomatoes.
Source: http://www.huliq.com/13314/five-reasons-you-should-shop-farmers-market
Category: news