Farmer's Market info 😎🛒🍅🥒🌽🍒🫐🥩🧀🥬🍓🍏🍇🛒😎
Have you visited a farmers market yet? I love to support our community, local vendors & small businesses. Each has their own unique taste & style.
Yes, I get pretty excited when it’s time to head out to the farmer’s market 🤩 I’ve frequented my normal haunts that are open during the winter for my meats, cheeses, and occasional winter veggie; but Spring is here and we now have more markets that are open to choose from 😎🌸😎
Today, I’ll share with you a link to our local farmer’s markets; as well as what and when your favorite produce will be showing up each month.
Before we get started, if you missed last week’s blog on“Taking care of your Joints”, you can use this link, Here.
OK, let’s get shopping 🛒
😎🥬🍓🫐🍒🧀🥩🥚🌽🍅🍏🌶🍇🍐😎
When you shop at the farmers market, you’ll be…
EATING SEASONALLY
Shopping at farmers markets puts seasonal produce on your table. Fruits and vegetables that are harvested and enjoyed during the season cost less and taste better.
EATING FRESH
Most participating farmers harvest their produce the day before or the morning of the market, so the fresh produce is richer in vitamins and tastes better than fruits and vegetables that have traveled many miles. Farmers market shoppers can get the freshest foods in town.
EATING LOCAL
Buying local decreases “food miles,” or the distance food is transported across the country or from other countries. This benefits the environment because energy consumption and fossil fuel pollution are reduced.
Your community will benefit by…..
DEVELOPING A HEALTHIER POPULATION
Many farmers markets require produce to be locally grown, which generally means within the same county or neighboring counties. Fresh produce is likely much richer in vitamins and often tastes better.
INCREASING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Shoppers at farmers markets are supporting family farmers, who often sell directly to the consumers. By eliminating brokers, distributors, and shippers, local growers get to keep a larger portion of the sales price, which supports the local economy.
CREATING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Most markets provide cooking tips, recipes, and meal ideas. Shoppers and vendors enjoy the personal visits that occur during farmers market hours.
NJ has close to 100 farmers markets - one in almost every county. Some counties have two or more!
Local shoppers are buying locally grown, healthy, and fresh produce from these markets because…
they don’t have to travel far.
the fruits and vegetables are high-quality.
the produce is fresher.
the produce is often more nutritious because
it is fresher (and oftentimes organically grown)
the money spent stays in the local community.
Farmers markets vary in when they are open, how many vendors there are on each day, what kinds of produce are for sale, and whether they include organic fruits and vegetables.
Call the market to be sure.
Here’s a link to of some of our local farmer’s markets with map, phone numbers, addresses, hours and other important information: Here.
Find one close by, or join a friend at one close to them ;-)
PLANTING and HARVESTING CALENDAR:
Planting vegetable seeds or transplants (store starter plants) at the correct time is important to getting the most out of a garden. Knowing your first and last frost dates will help you start your vegetable seeds or plants at the right time.
New Jersey is in USDA plant hardiness zones 6 and 7. I always err on the safe side and use zone 6 for planning purposes. Use your last and first frost dates below to calculate your planting schedule.
New Jersey on average has approximately 180 days between the last and first frost. Using the planting schedules below (shown in green/orange) will help you get the most out of your garden, and you can also plan on when to hit the farmers markets for your favorite crops to buy (shown in red) 🤩
MORE REASONS TO SHOP YOUR FARMER’S MARKET:
Many farmers markets do paper and plastic
In addition to cash, many farmers markets now accept credit cards, SNAP benefits, and other nutrition benefits. Just remember to bring your reusable shopping bag!
Something new
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. 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. Who knows, maybe you will discover some new favorites!
Learn a farmer’s secret
On market day, farmers love to share their secrets. 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.
Follow the rainbow
A great way to eat healthy is to put a spectrum of colorful fruits and vegetables on your plate. They are full of great nutrients, including antioxidants and phytonutrients. The more color variety, the better!
Bring the kids!
Farmers markets are kid-friendly. Let your kids pick out something new to try. Then, let them help prepare a meal or choose a snack based on what caught their eye.
For more inspiration: Check out this short video on YouTube
THE BOTTOM LINE
“If you know me, you know that I am crazy about fresh sweet corn. There’s nothing better than NJ’s corn 🌽 ”
“My knees almost buckled as I tasted blueberry honey, raspberry honey, wildflower honey, sunflower honey---I bought six jars without even thinking.”
“For being so early in the season, the tables on either side of the street were heavily laden with produce. I could see English peas, asparagus, arugula, several varieties of chard, kale, rhubarb, radishes... My mouth tingled as I walked slowly from booth to booth, drinking in the knowledge that the food I was checking out had not been trucked from a far-flung spot, but from somewhere nearby, where people still felt dirt in their hands.
I paused and my gaze zeroed in on a mountain of gorgeous strawberries a few stands down. I crouched to be eye level with the berries, narrowing my eyes at their color, shape, and size. The red was deep, but still bright. Shape: irregular, as they should be, and still sported stems that poked out the tops. The berries weren't too small, and best of all, not too large. No Costco mutants, I was pleased…..”“And then there are the tomatoes, the heavenly tomatoes”🍅 🍅🍅🍅🍅
Well, that’s my love story with the farmer’s market….
I’m hooked, and always will be.
My family gets the freshest, healthiest food possible; and I know where it comes from and who is growing it.
If you haven’t ever visited one, please do yourself a favor and do it this year.
Most markets are just getting started for the season and will continue through the fall.
Make sure to check out the harvest season (above) for your favorites; and who knows? You might discover something new to excite your tastebuds 😎
OK, let’s get shopping 🛒
😎🥬🍓🫐🍒🧀🥩🥚🌽🍅🍏🌶🍇🍐😎
Make an appointment and come talk with us if you are having doubts or questions about your family’s health. We will give you the honest truth, and the clinical research that supports it.
To make an appointment with me use this link: HERE.
Or, you can always give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite farmer’s market? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
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